You get home late from work and quaff your dinner only to get in bed less than an hour later. If you think that you have been there, you are not alone. Many of us are guilty of late night bingeing but the thing about eating right before hopping to bed is a bad idea seems to be true. Late-night suppers can have a lot of negative consequences on your health. Here are the most common side effects of night-time noshing.

1. Acid-reflux and Heartburn

It may not be a great idea when you lie down on your couch watching Netflix immediately after your supper. While the lying down position will likely won't interfere with your body's ability to actually complete the digestion process after you eat, it can make it easier for some digestive juices to travel up to your oesophagus. When stomach acid backs up into the oesophagus, you get a heartburn or acid reflux. So try taking a short walk after dinner before you get too comfortable on your bed. How to Go to Bed on Time; Late Sleepers Can Advance Sleep Time By 2 Hours With This Trick. 

2. Chronic Sleep Deprivation

All the heartburn and indigestion can make you restless and cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Heartburn can interrupt your slumber resulting in overall poor sleep and chronic sleep deprivation is related to a slew of health issues. Spending some time sitting upright on your bed can be a good way to widen the gap between your bedtime and dinner time. No Breakfast and Late Dinner Increase Risk of a Second Heart Attack: Study. 

3. Weight Gain

Eating right before bed can pack some extra kilos. When you pass out, your body does not need the energy from food, so it stores the calories instead of burning them. Besides, the real underlying reason why eating before bed is a bad idea is that it may lead to unhealthy behaviours and habits, which in turn may lead to weight gain. A bedtime snack is often an extra meal apart from dinner and dessert, meaning you are consuming extra calories you may not necessarily need. Is It OK To Skip Breakfast? Here’s How You Will Ruin Your Health if You Do. 

4. Blood Sugar Crash

Late-night sleeping may raise your blood sugar levels. When you sleep, your body goes into a light fast. If you eat before sleeping, you may be more likely to experience a crash in blood sugar while asleep. A blood sugar crash alerts the adrenals that there is an emergency, so your body secretes the stress hormone called ‘cortisol.’ Frequent cortisol releases can exhaust the adrenal function, inflame the body and weaken your digestive system. So sleep early if you do not want to suffer the wrath of this cycle.

Make sure that your last meal of the day is around or shortly after nightfall. Also, opt for a balanced dinner with lots of water throughout the day.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2019 01:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).