Raiding the fridge or pantry right in the middle of the night is quite common especially after a stressful day or during a disruption in the sleep routine. While utterly satisfying, experts say that it’s something that can ruin your health.
If you always find yourself munching on something late at night, then keep on reading as this article is made especially for you. Below you will come across some of the reasons why snacking at night is bad for you.
It Triggers Acid Reflux
If you think that stuffing your face in the middle of the night can help you take a trip to dreamland faster, think again. Especially if you are suffering from acid reflux, night-time snacking can leave you wide awake at night.
Everyone who is bugged by acid reflux knows very well that hopping into bed right after eating something is a terrible idea. Doing this is the fastest way for you to encounter the nasty symptoms of acid reflux, especially heartburn.
Generally speaking, acid reflux sufferers should wait for at least 2 hours before they jump into bed after having their supper. Needless to say, midnight snacking is a complete no-no no if you don’t want to end up sleepless.
It Causes Bad Dreams
Are you fond of having terrible dreams that often disrupt your sleep? Maybe it’s your snacking late at night that can be blamed for such. According some studies, there’s a link between having disturbing dreams and midnight snacking.
Scientists say that it seems like that the worst offenders are spicy foods. Dairy foods are also regarded by the experts as some other culprits. Some studies show that starchy foods like pasta and bread can be added on the list, too.
It can be very easy for terrifying dreams to disrupt your sleep, and it’s no secret that failure to get 7 to 9 hours of restorative sleep per night is something that can come with health consequences, many of which can be serious.
It Increases Insulin Resistance
Especially if diabetes runs in the family, it’s a good idea for you to skip reaching for snacks to munch on in the middle of the night, in particular those that are packed with sugar and carbohydrates. That’s because it can lead to insulin resistance.
Put simply, insulin resistance is the failure of the cells to respond to the hormone insulin. Such can cause sugar to accumulate in the blood. We all know that having high levels of sugar in the blood is a risk factor for diabetes.
Just because you have no relatives that suffer from diabetes doesn’t meant that you are out of the woods. Some other risk factors for diabetes include being 45 years old and above, being overweight or obese, and having a sedentary lifestyle.
It Raises Cholesterol
Are you aware that excess sugar is also converted into cholesterol by the body? It’s exactly for this reason why health authorities cannot stress enough the sheer importance of steering clear of snacking late at night.
Having increased cholesterol levels in the bloodstream can cause narrowing of the arteries, which can deprive your heart muscles and brain tissue of much-needed oxygen. Such can lead to a heart attack and stroke respectively.
Needless to say, your heart disease risk increases if you have high cholesterol. Especially if you are a smoker, alcoholic, obese or overweight, or have family members diagnosed with heart disease, avoid late night snacking!
