Myth-Busting: Is going to bed hungry good for you?

The late night munchies are a real thing for many of us. You’re comfortable in bed, and then suddenly your stomach starts growling. You convince yourself that it’s too late to eat something, so you decide to simply hit the sack. However, what’s the best and healthiest way to handle these late night cravings? We’re here to answer the question, is going to bed hungry good for you?

One problem that night owls in particular might face is that the later you stay up, the more likely you’ll start to feel hungry. This can be common, but it begs the question as to whether your body is asking you to feed it. Making sure your body is well fed is extremely important in keeping it strong and healthy, but regularly overeating is something we want to avoid. So we’re here to get to the bottom of this common problem.

One important thing to know is that going to bed hungry is okay as long as you’ve eaten a well-balanced and healthy eating schedule throughout the day. Sometimes, a feeling of hunger is completely natural despite eating three meals a snacking throughout the day. So, deciding not to satiate hunger with another snack is perfectly okay as long as you’ve eaten enough during the day and gotten enough calories.

One reason why you may want to grab a snack before bed is if you’ve skipped a meal that day. Our body needs a certain amount of calories to perform basic day-to-day functions, and sometimes our stomachs growling is our body’s way of telling us that we need to eat. Sometimes, people may assume that skipping a meal and going to bed hungry is a good way to lose weight, but it can actually increase your risk of obesity. This is because skipping meals slows down your metabolism significantly, which makes losing weight harder and gaining weight much easier. So, in cases of dieting and skipping meals purposely, those late night cravings may actually be your body telling you that you need to eat.

In cases of late night hunger, eating a few healthy snacks before bed could be a good way for you to get a comfortable night's sleep and not wake up hungrier than usual. These snacks can include foods like eggs, nuts or trail mix, or fruits such as cherries. These types of snacks are quick to eat and contain properties such as proteins that will fill you up without causing you to overeat. 

All in all, going to bed hungry isn’t necessarily good for you, but isn’t bad for you either in certain circumstances. Ultimately, it’s important to listen to your body and take that hunger on a case-by-case basis. If you’ve skipped a meal that day, then those late night munchies might actually mean you should eat before going to bed. Going to bed hungry doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to lose weight as a result. In a lot of cases, it’ll just mean that you’ll be particularly hungry the next morning. Just remember, your body knows you best!