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Late Night Eating: How It Impacts Blood Sugar, Even If You Stay Up Later
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New research indicates that indulging in late-night meals can negatively impact blood sugar levels, regardless of whether you stay up late or go to bed immediately after eating. This challenges the idea that delaying sleep can offset the metabolic consequences of eating close to bedtime.
The Link Between Late Dinners and blood Sugar
Experts have long understood that eating too close to bedtime can disrupt the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, potentially increasing the risk of insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease CDC. A recent study explored whether staying up later after a late meal could mitigate these risks, but the findings suggest otherwise.
According to Daisy Duan,MD,an endocrinologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine,the study revealed that blood sugar control is more closely tied to the body’s circadian rhythm than to the timing of sleep after a late meal. “it still appears it is indeed best to avoid eating a late dinner,even if you don’t go to sleep right after,” Dr. Duan stated.
Inside the Study: Meal Timing and Blood sugar Levels
Researchers at Johns Hopkins recruited 13 healthy adults with an average age of 25 and monitored them in a sleep lab. They persistent each participant’s “biological night” by measuring melatonin levels in their saliva, a reliable indicator of circadian rhythms.
The participants’ glucose and insulin levels were measured hourly for 24 hours via IV under three different scenarios:
- Early dinner (three hours before biological night), followed by sleep five hours later.
- Late dinner (one hour after biological night), followed by sleep one hour later.
- Late dinner (one hour after biological night), followed by sleep five hours later.
All participants obtained eight hours of sleep in each scenario and consumed meals with calorie counts adjusted to their individual weights.
The study found that both late-dinner scenarios resulted in average glucose levels that were 11% higher than the early-dinner scenario.Delaying sleep did not significantly impact these results.
Did You Know? Melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, is also linked to improved blood sugar control. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can help optimize melatonin production.
Limitations and Interpretations
The researchers acknowledge that the study is preliminary and has not yet undergone peer review. Ajaykumar Rao, MD, a diabetes and metabolism endocrinologist with Temple Health, who was not involved in the research, pointed out that the small sample size and controlled environment limit the study’s generalizability.
Dr.Rao suggests that the findings are more applicable to preventing diabetes in healthy young adults than to guiding lifestyle changes for individuals already diagnosed with the condition. he notes that the cumulative effects of late eating may increase the risk of insulin resistance over time.
“When you eat later, your body’s response to a glucose load may be a bit dampened because your own insulin levels are not attacking that meal the same way they would otherwise,” Dr. Rao explained.
Aligning with Your Body’s Natural rhythms
Theresa Gentile,RDN,a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,emphasizes the importance of aligning eating habits with the body’s circadian clock. She recommends paying attention to when you start feeling sleepy in the evening and aiming to finish dinner a few hours before that time.
She suggests consulting a registered dietitian-nutritionist to track sleep and hunger patterns or using wearable sleep trackers to identify the start of your biological night.
Pro Tip: Try to eat your last meal at least 3 hours before your bedtime to give your body enough time to process the food before you sleep.
Key Findings: Late Night Eating and Blood Sugar
| Scenario | dinner Timing | Sleep Timing | Impact on Glucose Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Dinner | 3 hours before biological night | 5 hours after dinner |
