Hey there nocturnal,
So, you’ve been staying up late and getting hungry all the time. Or, you wake up late at night feeling the pangs of hunger. Well, grabbing a quick dinner or snack after 8pm doesn’t really sound lethal but do this for a couple of days (till it turns into a habit) and you won’t like the outcome. Here’s all you must know about that growing late-night-eating routine.
This routine can easily become addictive and before you know it, it has advanced into what health practitioners call “Night Eating Syndrome”. This is why we are cautioned to consume our calorie-packed meals and snacks during the day when our bodies are active and ready to burn those calories and also use the energy produced.
Late-night eating comes with dire effects that you won’t even wish on your worst enemy.
Effects of late-night eating
Bad sleeping pattern
You will agree that eating those spicy, salty and sugary foods at night really disrupt your sleep. They make you hyper and unable to sleep. All the heart burns and disturbing dreams get a toll on you. The possibility of sleep later in the night because you ate late at night is high and so you end up disrupting your sleep cycle. Waking up early will ten become a sport and the bad cycle might become your new normal.
You have obviously heard people attributing weird dreams to late-night eating. This is not fallacy; it’s factual and scientific.
Obesity
Your body’s ability to either maintain or lose weight doesn’t solely depend on the kind of food you eat but also the time you eat. Eating your dinner or high-calorie snacks less than an hour or two before bedtime. A calorie isn’t just any mere calorie when you consume it late at night. All the calories you consume at odd hours get stored as fat in your body which ultimately makes you gain that mysterious weight you may not desire.
1. High blood pressure
Developing a late-night-eating routine can have a dire effect on your heart. It may not seem like an immediate effect but it sure is on its way. Some studies have found a link between high blood pressure and with the routine of late eating.
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania studied and found that the habit of eating late at night raises the blood sugar and insulin levels. Both components are causes of type 2 diabetes. The studies also established that the increased level of cholesterol and triglycerides (some sort of fat in your blood) can put a late eater at high risk of heart related diseases.
2. Deprived retention and concentration
For those who believe eating late only affects their body shape and sleep pattern, sorry to burst your bubble but there’s more to it. Bad or irregular eating routines adversely affect circadian rhythms which eventually limits the brain’s ability to learn, retain information, concentrate on activities and memorize details.
Circadian rhythms are the 24-hour sequences that are part of the body’s internal clock, operating in the background to perform certain integral functions and processes. The sleep-wake cycle is one of the most relevant and widely known circadian rhythms. (Eric Suni, Circadian Rhythm, SleepFoundation.org, September 25, 2020)
3. Unhealthy mental state
An axiom like “a hunger man is an angry man” and “hanger” do not exist without some kind of factual basis. Take time in evaluating your moods and you will realize how susceptible you are to mood swings and anger when you are angry or deprived of sleep.
Eating late at night means you’re going to stay up late, meaning you will be deprived of the required amount of sleep as you will have to wake up early to perform your duties. It also translates into a serious hunger pang the following morning. All these contribute to an unhealthy mental state.
Deprived sleep which is caused by eating late and other gastric issues can increase your risk of getting depressed or anxious.
4.Acid reflux
Acid reflux is the discomforting feeling you experience when the food you just ate moves from your stomach into your oesophagus. Also known as acid regurgitation or gastroesophageal reflux, acid reflux can cause heartburn (the disturbing burning sensation you feel in your chest, which can crawl up to your neck). Your body posture after that quick late-night meal influences this a lot.
Your stomach struggles to digest food when you lie in bed after eating and causes our Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) to loosen, making the undigested food and certain acids to crawl back up into your oesophagus.
Here are some interesting ways to help you quit eating late.
- Do not stay up late if it’s not highly important. Try to sleep on time or better still, get a proper sleeping routine.
- Plan your meals ahead of time and do well to stick to the plan.
- Do not resort to food to curb your stress, anxiety or depression. Rather, seek professional help or talk to friends and family.
- Have proteins at every meal of the day
Take away: one of the best ways to do away with these effects is to have a regular exercising routine. Plan an exercise schedule for yourself and be dedicated to it. This is easier said than done that is why Fitness 1 Gym is here to help you schedule a perfect workout plan for your lifestyle. We have patient and professional trainers who will ensure that your healthy regime is adhered to.
We also understand some people do not like late night eating but their kind of work forces them to. Don’t beat yourself about it, Fitness 1 Gym is here for you. Sign up to our amazing, flexible workout sessions and lose those calories gained over that late-night-eating session.
We will be here with you during this festive season except 25th and 26th and also 1st and 2nd January, 2021, which are our break days. Until then, eat well, exercise well, sleep soundly and live a fit life. And don’t forget to “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”.
References
Claudia Tanner, Why eating late at night will do more than just make you gain weight – it also raises risk of diabetes and heart disease, study reveals, Mailonline, 05 Jun 2017
Alyssa Jung, 23 Surprising Habits That Can Lead to Diabetes, The Healthy.com, Oct. 06, 2020
https://www.thehealthy.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes/habits-cause-diabetes/
Eric Suni, Circadian Rhythm, SleepFoundation.org, September 25, 2020
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm
Healthline Editorial Team, Everything You Need to Know About Acid Reflux and GERD, healthline.com March 22, 2019
https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd
DoctorNDTV, Does Eating Late At Night Cause Weight Gain? Health Hazards Of Eating Late At Night, October 03, 2018
NDTV Food Desk, Mind The Midnight Munchies: 5 Shocking Side-Effects Of Eating Late At Night, NDTV Food, April 01, 2019
Jennifer Van Allen,
August 24, 2015