Have you ever had the experience of eating a full meal at night, then accidentally falling asleep, only to be woken up hungry in the middle of the night? At this point, you may wonder if it's good or bad to go to bed hungry.
A Harvard University study found that moderate hunger can help us better control our blood sugar levels, which can reduce the risk of diabetes. Researchers have found that people who eat only 70 percent a day have better blood sugar control than those who overeat.
When we consume the right amount of food, our bodies are better able to regulate our blood sugar levels, which reduces the risk of diabetes. In addition, moderate hunger can help prevent cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases.
1. The "benefits" of falling asleep with hunger
1. Helps in weight loss
Have you ever had the experience of eating too much at night and waking up in the middle of the night with a full stomach full of food, which makes you feel very uncomfortable? But did you know that falling asleep with a little bit of hunger can actually help you lose weight? This is not unfounded.
Hunger stimulates the body's metabolic rate. When you eat fewer calories, your body burns more fat in order to maintain normal functioning. In addition, moderate hunger can also promote the release of more growth hormone and metabolic hormones by the body, which help accelerate fat burning to provide energy. If you fall asleep with a certain amount of hunger, it will be easier for your body to activate this fat burner and burn more calories, thus achieving weight loss.
2. Improve sleep quality
When you fall asleep with a certain amount of hunger, the body undergoes a series of physiological adjustments, one of which plays an important role in regulating body temperature. Hunger pangs cause the body temperature to drop slightly, helping us to fall into a state of deep sleep faster.
In the early stages of sleep, the body undergoes a process of dropping body temperature. This process of lowering body temperature helps us to fall into a state of deep sleep faster. And moderate hunger can promote this process of lowering body temperature, allowing us to fall asleep faster.
Hunger also helps balance the body's hormone levels, especially melatonin. Melatonin is an important sleep hormone whose secretion increases with decreasing hours of sunlight and helps regulate our biological clock and sleep-wake cycle. When melatonin reaches a certain concentration, we feel sleepy and are more likely to fall into a state of deep sleep. In addition, melatonin also helps to maintain the continuity and stability of sleep, thereby improving the quality of our sleep.
3. Helps prevent disease
First, let's talk about diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disease characterized by abnormally high blood sugar levels. And proper hunger can help us better control our blood sugar levels, which can reduce the risk of diabetes.
When we eat a moderate amount of food and maintain a moderate level of hunger, the body regulates blood sugar levels more actively. When we consume less food, our bodies become more reliant on fats and proteins for energy, which helps lower blood sugar peaks and troughs, making blood sugar levels more stable. In addition, moderate hunger can also promote the body's absorption and utilization of nutrients efficiently, allowing the body to use energy and nutrients more efficiently.
In addition to diabetes, cardiovascular disease is also a major concern. And proper hunger can also help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Moderate hunger can promote the body's absorption and utilization of nutrients, especially those that are beneficial to the cardiovascular system, such as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients help improve cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In addition, proper hunger can also help us control our weight and reduce the incidence of obesity, which is also one of the important factors in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Of course, we also have to be careful not to be overly hungry so as not to have a negative impact on the body.
2. The "disadvantages" of falling asleep with hunger pangs
1. Risk of overeating
When you are extremely hungry, your body is already in a state of energy deficiency. At this time, eating large amounts, especially foods high in sugar, fat, and energy, can cause blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. This sharp fluctuation in blood sugar is not only harmful to the body, but can also trigger a series of health problems, such as insulin resistance, diabetes, etc.
The body's blood sugar levels need to be maintained within a relatively stable range. When we overeat, a large amount of sugar is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a sharp rise in blood sugar. This sharp fluctuation in blood sugar can increase the burden on pancreatic islet cells, which may lead to insulin resistance in the long run, which can lead to diabetes.
When you are overly hungry, the peristalsis of the stomach and intestines slows down and the secretion of digestive juices decreases. At this time, eating a large amount of food, especially food that is difficult to digest, will bring a heavy burden to the stomach and intestines, and it is easy to cause indigestion, stomach pain, diarrhea and other uncomfortable symptoms. It can overload the stomach and intestines, leading to digestive disorders. In the long run, it may also cause gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastritis and gastric ulcers.
2. Affect sleep quality
When you feel hungry, your body's energy levels drop, which can lead to difficulty falling asleep. Hunger stimulates gastric acid secretion, causing stomach discomfort and further affecting sleep quality.
Falling asleep requires a state of relaxation and comfort in the body. Hunger can put the body in a state of tension, stimulate the nervous system, and make it more difficult to fall asleep. In addition, excessive stomach acid may also cause stomach discomfort, such as stomach pain, heartburn, and other symptoms.
Deep sleep is an important stage for the body to repair and recover. In a state of starvation, the body lacks energy and nutrients, resulting in an inability to repair and recover adequately. Being in light sleep for a long time can lead to problems such as decreased immune system function and memory loss.
3. Physical health problems
If you often go to bed at night with extreme hunger, it can lead to excessive gastric acid secretion, which can cause damage to the stomach mucosa, which can lead to diseases such as stomach ulcers.
In addition, excessive hunger can also lead to a lack of essential nutrients and energy in the body, affecting the normal functioning and health of the body. Therefore, while maintaining a moderate level of hunger, it is also important to ensure a varied and nutritionally balanced diet.
summary
Falling asleep with a feeling of hunger is good for weight loss, sleep quality, and disease prevention, but excessive hunger can also pose health risks. Moderate hunger helps with weight loss because the body burns more fat to provide energy.
It also improves sleep quality, promotes the body to enter a state of deep sleep, and helps regulate body temperature and hormone balance. Maintaining a proper hunger pang can also help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
However, excessive hunger can lead to the risk of overeating, causing problems such as blood sugar fluctuations and increased gastrointestinal burden. It can also affect sleep quality, leading to problems such as difficulty falling asleep and light sleep.
Prolonged extreme hunger can also cause damage to physical health, leading to stomach ulcers and other diseases. Therefore, while maintaining a proper level of hunger, it is also necessary to ensure a varied and balanced diet to maintain good health.