When it comes to eating before bedtime, for many people, this is a conundrum that seriously affects the quality of life and health. Some people may choose to hold back their hunger and go straight to sleep, while others will choose to eat something to satisfy their appetite. However, there are potential problems with both options. Today, I'm going to dissect the subtle relationship between eating before bed and your health, and give you practical advice.
First, let's take a look at the effects of eating before bed. High-fat, high-calorie foods are a late-night snack that many people may choose. However, such a choice may increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and induce insomnia.
To make matters worse, the constant intake of high-energy foods may also disrupt the body's biological clock and affect the body's regulatory mechanisms, leading to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
If you think that going to bed on an empty stomach will successfully avoid sleep problems and potential health risks, then you are very wrong.
Falling asleep hungry is not a healthy option, as it can lead to poor sleep quality and even wake up with hunger pangs in severe cases. Prolonged fasting can lead to gastrointestinal disorders and make it difficult to fall asleep due to low blood sugar.
First of all, we need to understand why we feel hungry before bedtime.
Why do I feel hungry before bed?
First of all, a big reason why many people feel hungry at night is that their dinner is of low quality or simply skips it. That's not to say you need to savor a hearty table, but rather that you should get enough nutrients and calories for dinner.
Secondly, it is necessary to come up with such a concept: "ghrelin". When we see food, our brain secretes a lot of ghrelin to stimulate us to eat, especially high-calorie, high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. And, at night, it will have a more active secretion.
Thirdly, nocturnal eating is also an important factor in feeling hungry at night. It is a disease caused by an improper lifestyle and is common in people who often stay up late, work night shifts, and have irregular meals.
Patients may have no appetite in the morning, but between dinner and before sleep, their desire to eat is unusually strong, and they may even lose sleep and feel depressed for several nights in a row.
Having identified the problem, then we need to figure out strategies on how to maintain proper satiety.
How to deal with always hungry before bedtime
1. First of all, you can start by improving the quality of your dinner. Try eating whole grains, high-protein foods and vegetables to ensure nutrient intake and help keep you feeling fuller.
2. Secondly, the cooking method should avoid being too greasy, and you can choose stewed chicken, steamed fish, sauced beef, boiled shrimp, etc.
3. In addition, the time of dinner can also be adjusted appropriately. The ideal time to eat should be at least 3 hours before going to bed, so that there is not much food left in the stomach and will not affect the quality of sleep at night.
4. Finally, for those who sleep late and can't resist the hunger at night, scientific "meals" are also a good choice.
For this aspect, you can choose to have some late-night snacks between 9 and 10 pm. Choose foods that are easy to digest, such as dairy products, porridge, hot noodle soups, hot soy milk, bananas, and cucumbers. This will alleviate hunger without having much of an impact on your health.
However, it is important to note that these foods should be consumed in moderation and not eaten too much, otherwise the gastrointestinal tract may be overburdened. At the same time, you should try to avoid foods high in oil, salt, fat, and irritation and gas-producing at night, such as hot pot, barbecue, spicy hot, etc.
In general, the answer to the question of whether to eat before going to bed is not an absolute question of whether to eat or not to eat. We need to make sound decisions based on our needs and health conditions. Eating properly before bedtime and maintaining a proper satiety can help us get better sleep quality and ensure good health. We need to find a long-term diet that suits us according to our own situation and achieve a balance. In this way, the body can function more smoothly. Health, Start with Change, Start Today!