There is a popular saying that we should be mindful of the time we are going to eat our last meal. Out of curiosity, I looked for the explanations myself and I’m about to share you everything I found.
So, what is the latest you should eat before bed? The latest you should eat a heavy meal must be at least 2 to 3 hours before bed time, according to health experts.
If 4 to 5 hours have passed since your last heavy meal and you are still awake, you can eat light snacks before bed and it will be completely okay.
There are plenty of reasons why nutritionists say that we must not eat heavy late at night and those who are also conscious of their weight should also know why.
Weight gain, disrupted sleep, messy appetite, difficult breathing and other complicated issues are just part of the reason why health experts encourage eating 2 to 3 hours a way from your bed time.
Some people will say that sleeping after a heavy meal and gaining weight is a myth. Apparently, it’s not.
Going to bed with a heavy stomach makes it harder for your body to digest it and burn the fat. In other words, your metabolism is slower than when you are awake.
Since your body is also busy burning the food you ingested, breathing can be difficult. Which one to do first? Digest or breathe? It can’t be helped if your body becomes “pressured” and not know what to do first.
So what comes next after difficult breathing? Disrupted sleep.
There’s a good chance that you might wake up gasping for air or just simply wake up because your stomach is too active.
Suddenly waking up during sleep can be bad for your health especially if it also involves breathing problems. It may eventually affect your heart or brain too.
Because you also ate late at night and went to bed straight away, you may not have the appetite to eat breakfast once you wake in the morning.
Why? Because you may still feel full from last night’s food.
Skipping your breakfast or lunch can lead you to eat more in the late hours of noon to evening, starting a cycle that can be difficult to break.
Continuous disrupted sleep and difficult breathing can trigger other complicated health issues.
It must be overwhelming to see how one small thing, which is the time of eating your last meal, can lead to big problems if not handled properly.
This is why it’s important to stick to eating 2 or 3 hours away from bed time.
Now that you understand why it’s important to know the best time to eat before sleeping, you probably have other questions such as what food are great for better sleep. You’ll learn about that as you read on.
Why you should eat before bed
If it’s important to eat 2 or 3 hours away from your bed time, how about not eating at all? If you’re wondering if you should eat before bed or not, we also have the answers you are looking for.
Don’t worry about eating your dinner at the right time. In fact, people who eat more late night (midnight snack lovers, movie watchers or such) are more at risk than people who sleep after their last heavy meal.
Eating your heavy meal and combine with other unhealthy, unbalanced snacks or meals late at night is more dangerous than going to bed with an empty stomach or going to bed 1 hour after a heavy meal.
Going to sleep hungry or with a completely empty stomach is not good for your health and make sleeping difficult.
Contrary to the popular belief, eating a light snack is actually healthier than sleeping hungry. Having something inside your stomach helps you feel full, allowing you to sleep better.
There’s also a chance of waking up during random hours at night due to your starving stomach.
So, don’t even think about skipping dinner and going to bed. You will only end up making your health and sleep a lot worse or harder!
It is when you eat late at night with unbalanced meals that is more dangerous to your health.
What food should you eat before bed
It’s mentioned that if you’re still awake 4 to 5 hours after your last heavy meal, you are allowed to eat one light snack. Are you wondering what kind of snack is the best option for you?
Aside from those chips, sweets and other popular midnight cravings… there are also healthy choices that may appeal to you, if you’re trying to get away from the unhealthy diet.
Bananas, cheese, honey, oats, almonds, turkey, tea, cherries, salmon and sweet potatoes are examples of best food choices before going to sleep.
- Bananas
- Bananas also produces melatonin, a hormone that helps your body know when it’s time to sleep and wake up. Therefore, eating bananas before going to sleep will promote healthy sleep.
- Cheese
- Different kinds of cheese contain tryptophan. It is an amino acid that increases the amount of serotonin and melatonin being produced inside your body.
- The higher serotonin and melatonin you have, the easier and better you can sleep. Consume moderately to avoid getting unwanted or unexpected side effects.
- Honey
- One teaspoon of honey is already enough to stimulate the amount of melatonin being released inside your brain and manage the levels of orexin, the chemicals that keeps us alert.
Since it shuts off orexin and improve melatonin, sleeping is much easier too.
- One teaspoon of honey is already enough to stimulate the amount of melatonin being released inside your brain and manage the levels of orexin, the chemicals that keeps us alert.
- Oats
- Though it is known as a breakfast food, it’s also great for midnight snacks. It contains various vitamins, amino acids and minerals that promote melatonin and insulin production.
The increased amount of insulin caused by eating oat will help make you feel full which will help you sleep better too.
- Though it is known as a breakfast food, it’s also great for midnight snacks. It contains various vitamins, amino acids and minerals that promote melatonin and insulin production.
- Almonds
- Not only does it contain healthy fats, almonds are also rich in magnesium as well as tryptophan which is why they are one of the good choices for midnight snacks
- Magnesium makes your sleep better since it can reduce inflammation, making sure you don’t feel any fatigue after waking up.
It also reduces stress levels by eliminating the stress hormone cortisol.
- Turkey
- Turkey is rich in tryptophan that makes serotonin. Serotonin can give us the feeling of drowsiness, promoting easy sleep.
The presence of tryptophan in turkey also promotes melatonin production, the sleep regulating hormone.
- Turkey is rich in tryptophan that makes serotonin. Serotonin can give us the feeling of drowsiness, promoting easy sleep.
- Tea
- Tea is good at affecting the neurotransmitters in our brain positively and helps induce sleepiness, it also helps our muscles relax.
- Examples: Chamomile tea, Valerian tea, lemon balm tea, passion flower tea, magnolia bark tea, Kava tea, peppermint tea and St. John’s wort tea
- Cherries
- Cherry is high in nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese.
It’s rich in antioxidants including anthocyanins and flavonols that protect your cells from harmful inflammation.
Eating cherry is good for raising melatonin levels, helping you sleep more comfortably. It also increases the level of tryptophan inside your body!
- Cherry is high in nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese.
- Salmon
- Fatty fish like salmon, halibut, trout, mackerel, and tuna are rich in vitamin B6, a vitamin needed for melatonin production that will help you sleep.
- Aside from vitamin B6, they also have vitamin D which is important to your body too. Fatty fish are rich in healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and EPA as well as DHA.
- These healthy fats are known to reduce inflammation, improving the quality of sleep. It can also protect you from heart disease and improve the brain’s health.
- The combination of omega-3 fatty acids together with vitamin D makes it perfect for enhancing sleep quality.
- Sweet Potatoes
- The carbs and potassium that it contains are proven to promote better sleep!
(Related: What are The Best Foods to Eat Before Going to Sleep?)
Related Questions
Why shouldn’t you eat before bed?
It is not that you can’t eat before bed, it’s only that you are not allowed to eat a heavy meal 2 or 3 hours before bed. Sleeping right away after a heavy meal increases the chance of affecting your heart’s health.
Your stomach will be busy digesting while you are asleep, but this can also cause you to experience difficulty in breathing since your stomach is prioritizing digesting the food you just ate.
It’s better to eat a light meal before bed if 4 to 5 hours has passed since your last heavy meal.
(Related: “Why Shouldn’t You Eat Before Bed?“)
Why should we not eat apples at night?
It is studied that apples are rich in dietary fiber and pectin found in its peel and this causes people to have digestive issues when consumed close to bedtime.
Apples are best consumed in the morning, as breakfast or lunch fruit dish.
Is it too late to eat after 8pm?
No, it is not “too late” to eat after 8 PM. If you haven’t had dinner and you are planning to sleep right away, eating a light meal is highly encouraged.
It is never too late for dinner and it’s healthier to eat a light meal right before bed than sleep with an empty stomach which can lead to other health issues and interrupted sleep.
