Healthy Habits: Is It Unhealthy to Sleep After Eating?

There has been quite a bit of controversy about whether or not it is unhealthy to sleep after eating. Some people think it is what you eat during the day, not when you eat that is important. Others are adamant that you should never eat after 7pm. In actual fact, sleeping right after eating has been proven to have some effects on your health and wellbeing. Here are some reasons why it might be unhealthy to sleep after eating.

It is bad for digestion

There is evidence to show that gravity and digestion work together. Lying down immediately after eating means your body has to work harder to keep your food moving through your digestive system. There is also a chance your food will start moving upwards in the wrong direction and as a result you may end up with gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is caused by stomach acid moving upwards and out of the stomach.

It can cause weight gain

Your body doesn’t burn calories at the same rate at all times during the day. During and after exercise, for instance, your body burns calories at a faster rate. When you are asleep, however, your metabolism drops to a basal level, which is the minimum level of calorie consumption required to keep you alive. This means that calories from meals consumed right before sleeping are burned at a much slower rate and the percentage of calories consumed that gets converted to fat is consequently higher. Studies have shown that consuming food right before sleeping leads to higher incidences of weight gain. If you’re trying to lose weight, the worst time to eat is right before sleeping.

It can lower quality of sleep

If you’ve ever experienced nightmares or woken up repeatedly at night, eating right before you went to bed could have been the cause. When you’re asleep, your body does not digest food as efficiently, so it needs to redirect blood from your brain to the digestive system. This can make you sleep fitfully and can even wake you up in the middle of the night. To ensure the quality of your sleep is not compromised, try to eat at least three hours before you go to bed.

It can cause insomnia

Eating too close to bedtime can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. If you’re already prone to insomnia, the problem can be made much worse by eating before bedtime. Foods high in sugar can cause an insulin spike, which is characterised by symptoms such as heart palpitations and makes it difficult to fall asleep. Foods containing caffeine can also cause sleeplessness. Other than coffee and tea, chocolate and many types of sodas contain caffeine and should be avoided up to a few hours before bedtime.

While sleeping after eating every now and then is unlikely to cause any major damage to your health, it is worth noting that doing so does have some negative repercussions and can be harmful if you make it a regular habit.

Romayne Warner is a full time self-employed blogging fanatic. Obsessed with finding small ways to save money every day, she enjoys sharing her frugal lifestyle tips and tricks with the world, she regularly writes about healthy living and health cover related topics.