When it comes to maintaining your metabolism and feeling full, timing and digestion are closely linked. This is why it is suggested you always eat breakfast -- because it gets your metabolism going -- and why you avoid a big dinner right before going to sleep -- because it can cause heartburn. Knowing how certain foods affect your digestion and sleep at night can help you choose ones that make you sleep soundly.
Misconceptions
A common medical misconception is that eating at night leads to weight gain because the body will digest your foods as fat instead of using them for energy. However, this myth does not prove true. Your body's digestion and metabolism relies on the foods you eat in a 24-hour time period balanced with the amount of calories your body burns for daily activities. If you eat before bed, yet stay within your daily calorie requirements to maintain a healthy weight, eating before bed and the way your body digests food should not affect your weight.
Sleep
Some people claim that eating a certain food before bed can contribute to poor quality sleep. While the food is being digested in your body, it can cause disturbances -- this can be the case for spicy, caffeine-containing or fatty foods. However, eating before bed does not affect your digestion and sleep in all instances. Look for patterns. If eating popcorn before bed always seems to give you nightmares, avoid it and sleep better.
Chemical Messengers and Digestion
If you have trouble sleeping, you can use eating before bed and digestion to your advantage. Some foods contain tryptophan, a chemical messenger that calms the brain and signals the release of other sleep-inducing chemicals called serotonin and melatonin. Foods like dairy products, soy products, seafood, poultry, whole grains, eggs and peanuts all contain tryptophan. When these foods are digested, the chemical messengers are released to the brain, which can help you feel sleepier. To make digestion work for you, trying eating foods like whole-grain cereal and milk or a peanut butter sandwich with ground sesame seeds. Your body will need at least an hour to digest the food and release tryptophan, so plan ahead for your snack.
Heartburn
Heartburn is a condition where your lower esophageal sphincter -- the area at the end of your esophagus that keeps stomach acid from coming into your esophagus -- weakens. As a result, your stomach acid can move to your esophagus, causing a burning sensation in your chest. If you have heartburn and eat within two to three hours of your bedtime, lying down to sleep can place extra pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. This means that your food can come up and cause pain while your stomach is trying to digest it. If you have eaten within that time frame and feel pressure on your stomach and throat, try propping up your head at least six inches to take the pressure off.
References
- Fit Lode; Eating Before Bed Is Not As Bad As You Think; Corianne Cowan; February 2011
- Today.com; Eat Your Way to a Good Night's Sleep; Joy Bauer; February 2008
- Gather; Don't Eat Before You Go to Sleep -- Good Advice or Medical Myth?; Dr. Julie K. Silver; January 2008
- AskDrSears.com; Foods for Sleep; Dr. Barry Sears; 2006
- MedlinePlus; Heartburn; March 2010
Member Comments