Alaska Sleep Education Center

How Long to Wait Between Eating and Bed

Eating late in the day or consuming a heavy meal close to bedtime can interrupt your sleep. Experts recommend waiting at least three hours after eating a full meal before going to bed. The reason is simple: large meals can mess up your metabolism and prevent you from falling asleep.

Avoiding Foods That Take Too Long To Digest

Woman dealing with bad heartburn.

Avoiding foods that take too long to digest before bedtime can help you get a restful night’s sleep. Avoiding high-fat foods is important because they take longer to digest, keeping your body working, instead of relaxing. This disrupts your sleep and leaves you feeling unrested in the morning.

One of the best ways to prevent GERD is to limit your intake of fast foods. These foods are fatty, fried, and contain ingredients that aggravate GERD symptoms. Additionally, some fast food items may be served with beverages that may aggravate the condition, including chocolate milkshakes and soda. If you have to eat fast food, choose a low-sodium option instead.

Spicy foods such as tabasco and cayenne may increase your metabolism, but they can also cause heartburn in sensitive people. In addition to this, spicy foods raise your body’s core temperature, which naturally decreases as you go to sleep.

Avoiding Foods That Cause Heartburn

Heartburn is not a pleasant feeling, and it can often be prevented by avoiding certain foods. Although each person is different, some foods tend to irritate the digestive tract and subsequently cause heartburn. These include spicy foods, garlic, onions, chocolate, and peppermint. Also, beware of drinks, especially citrus juices and sodas, as they relax the LES and contribute to heartburn.

Alcohol consumption is another common trigger for heartburn, so you should try to limit the number of beers or mixed drinks you consume. Also, avoid eating too quickly or eating large portions. Also, limit snacking, especially late at night. Instead, eat larger meals earlier in the day and have a small meal at night.

Heartburn can be uncomfortable, particularly if you have it before bed. This can result in restless sleep, so avoiding spicy foods is important. Spicy foods also raise the body’s core temperature, which should be low for quality sleep. Sleeping on the left side is also helpful, as it prevents stomach acid from rising.

Avoiding Foods That Mess With Metabolism

Late-night snacking definitely affects your sleep and metabolism.

Avoiding high-calorie foods before bed is especially important to your body’s metabolism. These foods are high in calories and fats, and they make your digestive system work harder than it should. Even one Oreo before bed could put you over your limit. That’s not a good habit!

Studies have shown that people who eat before bed are more likely to gain weight. The reason is that people who eat before bed tend to have higher calorie intakes. Furthermore, these foods can cause mindless munching and may lead to overeating. By limiting your meals and snacks before bed, you may have fewer cravings and avoid overeating. Eating these foods can also cause you to sleep in the daytime and at your work.

Another reason why do we fall asleep at work after lunch is due to a bad night’s sleep. To stop this, we just need to avoid eating heavy, greasy, or spicy foods before bed. These foods can increase your metabolism and keep you awake. This can prevent you from getting enough rest, which can result in fatigue and insomnia.

How to Keep From Falling Asleep at Work
● Getting up from your desk and taking a walk around the office can help you stay awake. You should also drink plenty of water. This keeps your immune system working and lubricates your joints.
● Splashing cold water on your face is a good way to wake up. It will also keep your blood flowing, which is important for alertness.
● One way to stay alert while at work is to break up large tasks into smaller, less complicated ones. This will help you get through the day with more energy.

While you are at it, try to make your workspace a bright place. This can be achieved by using extra lights and windows, and by adding a desk lamp.

You should also consider improving your productivity with strategies such as mingling with coworkers and dividing your work into manageable chunks. This will keep you from being bored, and will prevent you from losing focus.

One more solution to avoid falling asleep at work is to have a good sleep schedule. This can seem different for some initially but there are ways for you to ensure that you have a proper rest.

Conclusion
It is a widely known fact that eating before bed is detrimental to your health. Besides affecting your metabolism, eating before bed can also increase your weight. This is why it is recommended that you wait at least three hours between eating and bedtime.

What Keeps You Up at Night?

Take the First Steps to Healthy Sleep

About the Author: Larry Alton is a blogger and passionate writer at Managerteams.com. She loves cooking and is fond of traveling.

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Alaska Sleep Clinic's Blog

Our weekly updated blog aims to provide you with answers and information to all of your sleeping questions.

Brent Fisher, MBA, FACHE, FACMPE
President and Chief Executive Officer

“Alaska Sleep Clinic has a history of providing the most comprehensive sleep medicine services in the state of Alaska. Its potential has only begun. I am here to take these high-quality, comprehensive services to all Alaskans.”

Experience

Brent Fisher has held leadership positions spanning a wide variety of complex and start-up organizations: manufacturing (pharmaceutical & medical device), software development, hospitals (academic and community), medical groups, consulting, hospice, military, engineered devices, engineered plastics, and private equity.

Publications and Organizations

His writings have been published in various magazines, trade journals, and medical journals, including the Physician Executive Journal, Healthcare Executive, Modern Healthcare, Group Practice Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of Healthcare Management (Best Article Award).

He has served on the Board of Directors of professional associations, civic organizations, and businesses.

Hobbies and Activities

Brent enjoys being with his family, serving in the community, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting.