Is Eating Late at Night Harmful?

August 16, 2010, By Catherine Couretas 0 comments

As workdays get busier and kids pile on more after school activities, dinner gets pushed back later and later. But the question remains: how late is too late for dinner?

You may have heard to not eat after 7 or 8 p.m. or to not eat within a certain number of hours before going to bed. If, during the day, you only eat when you’re hungry and only eat lighter snacks at night, you’ll be a lot better off.

Your Body

According to WebMD, our bodies need the fewest number of calories at night. If you’re waking up and not hungry, it could be because you ate too much the night before.

In addition, eating is associated with other stationary activities like watching TV or surfing the Web. Staying more active and not associating with these activities will have you eating better and less.

Your Habits

How much you eat and when you eat earlier in the day can predict how much you’ll want to have for dinner. The larger the gap, the more likely you’ll want a big meal.

The best way to solve this problem is to eat smaller meals more often. WebMD says people who do this consume fewer calories because they don’t leave big gaps in the day and get hungry enough to binge.

You might not be great about portion control. Take your time and savor the first few bites, because those taste the best anyway. If you’re in the “it’s on my plate so I can eat it” mindset, you need to get out of that. Fast.

Your Solution

Put less on your plate, but fill it more often, and only eat when you’re hungry. If you do this throughout the day, you’ll find yourself not wanting to binge on dinner and you’ll even be sleeping better.

Your meals earlier in the day predict how you’ll eat the rest of the day, so plan accordingly. Don’t overeat at breakfast or lunch. Don’t snack because you’re bored, but instead find other things to do, like continuing with a favorite hobby or starting a new one. And finally, don’t worry about a small snack late at night. Sometimes a bit of food can help you sleep, and it shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

Your Kids’ Solution

Kids are a lot more active throughout the day and might be able to afford eating more food later at night than you. If they’re getting home late from activities, go ahead and serve them dinner, but make sure they’re awake for a half hour to an hour afterwards to allow their food to digest. Chances are your kids burned more calories than they'll be able to eat.

Catherine Couretas is a freelancer at Barefoot Proximity and a regular contributor to ManoftheHouse.com.