New trends in diet and nutrition are always emerging. One of the newest is to sleep after eating a meal. Proponents of this trend claim that sleeping after eating optimizes digestion improves immunity and prevents overeating. This sounds great, but does science back it up? If so, how does sleeping after eating actually help our bodies? Are there any risks to this practice? Let’s take a closer look at why you should sleep after eating and the science behind it.
Why I Sleep After Eating?
If you have ever read a nutrition article on the internet, you may have come across the term “digestion.” Digestion is simply a fancy term for the breakdown of food in our bodies. Our body uses different methods to break down food. Some of these methods are as simple as chewing, while others are more complex and involve enzymes and acids found in our saliva and stomach juices. Regardless of how we digest food, our bodies need to use energy to do so.
The Science Behind Sleeping After Meals
- Sleeping after eating improves digestion.
- Sleeping after eating improves immunity.
- Sleeping after eating improves sleep quality and quantity.
- Sleeping after eating helps us lose weight.
- Eating late at night may increase our risk for obesity and weight gain later in life.
- Eating too much at one meal increases the risk of overeating later in the day or the next meal, triggering binge eating behavior (see below).
- Eating too much at one meal results in a higher calorie intake than would be consumed if eaten over several meals, thus increasing the risk of obesity and weight gain (see above).
- Sleep deprivation has been linked to overeating and poor decision-making, both of which increase the risk of obesity as well as other health problems (see above).
- Sleeping after eating helps us to eat less by keeping our blood sugar levels stable throughout the day when we are not actively digesting food (see above).
- Sleeping after eating helps our bodies to burn more fat after a meal, thereby increasing fat loss and weight loss (see above).
How To Sleep After Eating: What You Need To Know?
- Before you go to bed, have a glass of warm milk before going to sleep. It will help you sleep at night.
- If you are having a problem sleeping at night, you might want to try drinking some warm milk before going to bed.
- You should also drink plenty of fluids before going to bed, as it will help you sleep well at night.
- You can also try eating a bowl of cereal with milk before going to bed. It will help you sleep better at night.
- You should also have some fruit juice or something else that is sweet at the same time before going to bed.
- Having something salty before going to bed can help make you fall asleep easier and faster, as it will wake up your body and brain so that they can start producing more melatonin (the hormone that helps us stay asleep).
- If your bedroom is too cold, then make sure that the room is comfortable for sleeping at night: remove all unnecessary items from the room such as clothes, books, and other things that might be disturbing your sleep; if possible, try using a warm electric blanket to keep you warmer at night.
- If your bedroom is too hot, then make sure that the room is comfortable for sleeping at night: remove all unnecessary items from the room such as clothes, books, and other things that might be disturbing your sleep; if possible, try using a cool electric blanket to keep you cooler at night.
- You should also stay away from the light before going to bed and make sure that your bedroom is dark enough for sleeping at night. You can also use an eye mask if it helps you sleep better at night.
- If you are having trouble sleeping at night, then try eating some chocolate before going to bed. It will help you sleep better at night by helping your body produce more melatonin so that you can stay asleep after eating it well before going to bed.
Is There A Risk Of Sleeping After Eating?
- If you eat a heavy meal, it’s not wrong to sleep after eating.
- It is recommended to exercise before sleeping and after eating.
- The time that you should sleep after eating is not clear, but the recommended time is within one hour.
- After sleeping, if you feel hungry, it’s okay to eat more food or drink more water before going to bed again.
- After sleeping, if you feel sleepy, it’s okay to take a nap or go to bed earlier than usual.
- If you have severe indigestion, try to eliminate the foods that caused bloating after eating and drinking water or milk before going to bed again.
- If you have a medical condition such as ulcers, gastritis, or reflux disease, it’s better to avoid eating foods that cause indigestion after eating.
- If you have severe diarrhea after eating and it happens frequently, it’s not wrong for you to sleep after eating for one night in a row.
- If you have early insomnia, it’s okay to sleep after eating for one night in a row.
- If you have late insomnia or insomnia that occurs several times a week, it’s recommended to avoid sleeping after eating for two days in a row.
Final Words
As we’ve discussed, sleeping after eating is a relatively new trend. That being said, it’s definitely worth trying out. All you need to do is wait a couple of hours after you’ve finished a meal before you go to bed. Why wait? Because when we eat, our bodies produce more stomach acid which has a pH level of 4. Eating before bed would leave you with an acidic stomach, which can interrupt your sleep. To make the most out of this practice, follow the tips we’ve discussed above. For best results, try to get into this habit for two weeks.
