Why shouldn't we eat or drink a lot before sleeping?

Question

I read a web site that give you tips so that you can get better sleep. In one of the tips it says, "Avoid large meals and limit fluid intake before bed."
Why is that? Beside for the need to go to the restroom.

Answer 1

the information from that website is incorrect...

for the most part the more fat free mass (muscle mass) that a person has the less the decrease there will be from the resting metabolic rate (RMR) to the sleeping metabolic rate (SMR).

the SMR actually increases during the first stage of sleep and as the night progresses the SMR decreases until the lowest point which is right before waking. on average the total caloric expenditure during sleep is equal to that of being awake.

when eating late at night the selection of foods must differ from that consumed during the daytime. you would not want to ingest something like beef or chicken before bedtime as they take 3-4 hours to be completely digested and may disrupt sleep. foods that are easily digestible and low/no carb are preferred at night and for most do not disrupt the sleep. this would be foods like blended proteins, cottage cheese, egg whites, sugar free yogurt, etc.

those that preach about not eating before bedtime do not truly know how human biology truly functions.

Answer 2

You will have gastro-intestinal/digestive problems if you do which will lead you to use the restroom a lot, which in turn might or might not lead to vomiting/barfing/puking a lot also.

Answer 3

if you eat a ton before going to sleep you basically just have all the calories build up and you can't burn them off bc you're doing nothing all night...so midnight snacks-not so good.

Answer 4

your body has to work to digest and if your stomach is full it not only makes it harder for you to get good sleep, it aids in weight gain.

Answer 5

yes, eat or drink a lot before sleeping will hurt your stomach
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