Is a snack before bed a bad idea?

It seems there are always issues with sleeping in bed, oversleeping, intimacy issues, and eating in bed. Another big problem is screens. As the evening winds down, it can be tempting to reach for something while streaming, reading, or wandering around the house. It turns out that 93% of adults have a post-dinner snack at least once a week. But is a bedtime snack a bad idea?

Although experts don't recommend large meals before bed, a light snack can have several benefits. The key word is something small. A snack before bed can help prevent low blood sugar. Certain snacks before bed can promote sleep, such as helping you fall asleep faster. If you take insulin or other diabetes medications, you sometimes need to snack before bed to treat or prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during the night.

However, late-night snacks can contain extra calories that can lead to weight gain.

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Regular habits are a key factor in weight gain. While in theory eating before bed shouldn't lead to weight gain, it's a habit that encourages other bad habits. These snacks don't usually count as a meal, meaning they contain extra calories. Plus, they're eaten at the time of day when people are hungriest, so snacking can quickly lead to consuming so many calories that your daily calorie intake suffers. The most popular nighttime snacks among survey participants were chips, crackers, and pretzels. 53.1% chose these foods as their first choice. They were number one among both men and women. Sugary snacks are also preferred: 43.4% chose ice cream, 42.8% ate cake or cookies, and 37.7% reached for candy. Healthier options include sugar-free ice cream, a light cheese stick, a tablespoon of peanut butter (15 grams) with celery, a hard-boiled egg, rice, baby carrots, or 3/4 cup of easy popcorn.

The important thing is to have a snack and not a big feast. Experts generally recommend waiting at least half an hour after drinking liquids and at least 2-3 hours after a full meal before lying down to sleep. This will help avoid digestive upset, weight gain and even possible disruption of the circadian rhythm.

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Some studies say that for people who are very hungry at night, having a snack after dinner can help control the urge to eat more. Since most people do this at least once a week, it's not what you should be doing, but what have you got? It will affect your sleep and your waistline on the following days.