5 Reasons To Avoid Eating Late At Night

This post was last updated on August 12th, 2015

One of the most debatable issue in every home is whether eating at night is good for health or not? Does it really have a significant effect on health? Yes. It is true that eating late at night can have retrogressive effects on our health and what kind of diet we eat at late night hours matters a lot. It is said that our breakfast should be like that of a king’s and lunch should be like a common man’s meal while the dinner should be like that of a beggar! But we are used to partying late at night and we often come home late from work. The busy lifestyle takes a toll on our meal timings and thereby we ourself, distort our health condition.

Eating late at night does not harm if it is occasional. But if it becomes a regular affair, then your health in the long run is at stake. In fact you must prepare a time table for your meals and must divide your meals in small proportions rather than storing that extra amount of calories, which remains stagnant in the body at night. It is advised to take most of the calories during the day rather than night as along with calorie count, the quality of food consumed at night also matters a lot.

We have become habitual of eating late at night while watching television and we do nothing but head to our beds. Such a routine hampers the internal system of our body and may lead to many lifestyle diseases in the future. To get rid of lifestyle diseases that is caused by your distorted meal timings, you must read these 5 reasons to avoid eating late at night:

1. Weight Gain Or Obesity

Reasons To Avoid Eating Late At Night

Many studies have revealed that the meal at night must be light and must compose of non-spicy and  non-oily dishes. This because at night, we don’t require the kind of energy that is needed during the day to perform our routine activities. In fact, we must munch on light foods and must give a gap of at least two hours before sleeping so that our stomach doesn’t feel ballooned up.

Instead, most people gorge onto spicy foods and relish oily stuff during the night on most days of a month, which results in accumulation of unwanted calories and doesn’t get burnt during the night. This eventually results in weight gain and obesity in the long run.

2. Distorted Sleep Pattern

Reasons To Avoid Eating Late At Night

When you eat late at night and sleep immediately, then the spices and other ingredients that make the meal heavy, will start making you uncomfortable in the sleeping position. Your stomach may feel certain tightness and your sleep quality will get affected.

So if you are urged to eat late at night, try to satisfy your hunger with healthy and light food such as oatmeal, cereals, fruit salads, etc. Avoid consuming Caffeinated beverages, energy drinks or energy boosting meals that may keep you wake at night.

Related: 6 Astonishing Impacts Of Inadequate Sleep

3. Habit Of Mid-Night Snacking

Reasons To Avoid Eating Late At Night

In case you are unable to sleep on time and feel bored, you may develop the habit of mid-night snacking, which has become the rising cause for obesity among the age group of 15 to 30. You mostly depend upon the ready made snacks such as potato chips, deep fried fritters or sausages that contain high amount of calories.

Consuming such food items when you are unable to sleep can become an addiction and you may soon find your weight skyrocketing. Also, in some cases, is has been found that people who are habitual of mid-night snacking, snack at night even after having a wholesome dinner. So the next time you get tempted to munch on the sweets or snacks, which you fondly purchased, then just grab a book or listen to your favourite song before you head to sleep and be determined not to go for mid-night snacking.

4. Frequent Visit To The Wash Room

Reasons To Avoid Eating Late At Night

If you eat late at night, then it is possible that you will have frequent visits to the wash room. When you consume fluids such as soups, shakes or juices at late night hours and sleep, then the liquids get processed fast in the body and you will have to head to the wash room frequently. This distorts your sleep pattern and the quality of sleep. You must not take fluids late at night and must consume them two hours before sleeping so that you need to visit to the wash room once before sleeping. You can thereby, enjoy a sound sleep.

5. Heartburn & Acidity Issues

Reasons To Avoid Eating Late At Night

One of the main reasons why you must avoid eating late at night and sleeping is heartburn and acidity issues that can take a toll on your health at mid-night. When you eat tight and head to sleep, the stomach acids moves up to the esophagus that can cause severe pain in the lower chest along with tightness and cause heartburn. Though occasional occurrence of acidity and gastric issues are not a major concern but if it occurs frequently, then it is symptom of a chronic digestive disorder called GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). If you over eat or consume foods that are too oily and spicy, then you are much more prone to be affected with this digestive disorder.

To avoid this you must be disciplined when it comes to eating and must be strict that you don’t eat late at night. Moreover, if on occasions you don’t have any choice but eating late, then stick to non-spicy and low calorie food items, so that you don’t distort your sleep pattern and at the same time, you don’t compromise on your health.

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