Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a strong desire to eat something?
Is this the reason for having a lamp in the fridge? Who knows…
Have you ever wondered why your sleep is disturbed? Do you think it may be from the way you eat…or probably because you don’t eat?
If you want to get answers to all questions, then … just keep reading.
The Relation Between Body And Food
There are two types of people during the night
- Those who eat their biggest meal late in the evening.
- And those who try to follow a random diet plan and starve all day and night.
Actually you should avoid being like any of those people. Because in both cases it’s very bad for your health.
In a world, where obesity is the 21st-century disease, it is a widely spread tendency to stay hungry in order to lose weight.
Things don’t work that way.
Your body needs the energy to perform its functions and provide you with the best quality of life.
But what happens if you don’t eat?
Food is the body’s fuel. But when energy doesn’t come from food then from where?
You might think, well body gets its energy from sleep. But what happens if you can’t sleep because you are hungry?
Going to bed hungry can cause you to feel hunger pains and consequently, that is disturbing your sleep.
When you can’t sleep at night your body isn’t able to get the rest it needs. No rest means no energy, no food also means no energy.
Think about it, what happens to something when there is no energy or electricity? It begins to weaken, to reduce the quality of work or in other words is going “out of service ”.
You knew that, but you never thought about how you affect your body when you deprive it of energy. Then it’s time to understand the side effects.
Go To Bed Hungry: What Happens With Your Body
Sleep problems reduce your quality of life
- Your immune system gets weaker with time. Unfortunately, this can possibly increase the risk of developing a form of cancer or diabetes.
- The lack of sleep leads to poor life quality, reduced work productivity, relationship breakdown, and at all, it can ruin your life.
- If you don’t sleep well during the night your body feels tired. Fatigue gradually turns into depression, stress, and anxiety.All those bad moods provoke negative energy to flow in your body. Over time negative emotions cause pains in your body and you feel even more exhausted and tired.
- If you deprive yourself of vital nutrients all day and night, you will wake up even more hungry. This pushes you to bad food choices early in the morning like pizza or chocolate brownie. You know what happens when you eat unhealthy fast foods full of sugar – you are simply gaining weight. But that isn’t the goal of your diet, is it?
- While you are sleeping your body is still awake and repairs your cells. If there is no energy gained from food to perform its tasks, the organism begins to break down muscles to get the energy it needs. So if you are from fitness enthusiasts who want to gain muscle weight then you should get a good amount of both food and sleep.
- If you go to bed hungry, your insulin level is kept low. Your body won’t have the energy to function at full speed, which again leads to low quality of life and depression.
Yes, it can be really that bad for your health.
But how to avoid midnight rumbling of the stomach?
Change Your Eating Habits Before Bed
Eating regularly during the day does a great job. But here’s the thing – it doesn’t always matter when you eat. Most of the time what matters is what you eat.
It is important for your daily meals to include foods rich in nutrients. They take longer to digest which means your energy level will be kept higher for longer.
Аnd just because they take longer to break down, your last meal should be at least 2-3 hours before sleep. Why?
Well here is the answer:
When melatonin begins to raise its level, your body clock knows its time for bed.
It naturally begins to slow down its functions and prepare for the night’s rest. Consequently, your metabolism slows down too.
That’s why if you eat full – size dinner right before you go to sleep, your body won’t burn it all, and part of it will be stored as fat.
Eating a full meal late increases the risk of obesity and diabetes.
So adjust your meal plan to your daily life. Always fuel your body with energy during the day to ensure a good rest during the night hours.
But what if you have eaten your last meal 3 hours before sleep and now you are hungry again?
Good news for the ones who love night snacks! Not all late meals have negative outcomes for your sleep.
Actually a small, low-energy snack, full of nutrients can bring you many benefits.
It keeps your stomach satiated and promote your work out early in the morning without feeling the need to eat breakfast beforehand.
But please don’t let it be something sugary that causes you sugar crush when you want to sleep.
It can be a drink like milk, chamomile tea, or something low-energy. Something that will help you relax and prepare you for sleep.
This is something like a night routine. When you do it every day before you go to bed, your body switches to sleep mode automatically, and it’s more likely to fall asleep immediately.
In addition, a small snack can:
- Improve your sleep quality – when you eat something nutritious (below 200 kcal) you won’t have to wake up in the middle of the night from hunger.
- Regulate your blood levels – your blood sugar level will be normal hence no hunger feeling. This of course happens only if you avoid the high-sugar snack before bed. Stick to the advice above.
- Help with muscle protein synthesis – the small snack takes care of your body to calmly perform its functions while you rest by supplying it with energy.
Also Read: Is It Bad To Sleep After Eating?
The Bottom Line
It’s bad for your health to go to bed with an empty or full stomach.
The truth is somewhere in between. The body needs it energy so small low-energy snack is even recommended before bed.
But it’s important to get your body with nutrients during the day. Not to leave it hungry or to eat unhealthy food.
This helps your organism to perform its vital functions and give you good health.
Of course where without sleep? Undisturbed sleep delivers the best quality of energy!
So keep it simple. Eat regularly quality food. Sleep peacefully at night. And you will be in excellent health.
Yes, it’s really that simple.
Read More: 6 Tips To Easily Fall Asleep With An Empty Stomach: Is This Good For Health?
