The habit of sleeping after eating is often done by some people. Not without reason, this happens because of drowsiness after eating which is known as food coma. However, sleeping after eating is not recommended because it has several impacts on the body and health.
- Quality of Sleep
Eating a heavy meal before going to bed can affect the quality of your sleep. This is caused by the food that is not properly digested due to limited time, making your stomach feel full and causing discomfort to your sleep patterns. Your body that is busy digesting food will prevent you from reaching the deeper stages of sleep.
- Indigestion
Sleeping immediately after a large or heavy meal can cause digestive discomfort, like bloating. This is because lying down can make stomach acid flow back up into the esophagus and cause heartburn. If done repeatedly, you will experience a number of digestive problems, such as GERD and heartburn.
- Weight Gain
Several studies have shown that eating just before bedtime may be associated with weight gain and obesity. This is because your metabolism slows down during sleep, so the excess calories are stored as fat. The impact can interfere with metabolism which has an impact on weight regulation.
- Trigger Various Diseases
Sleeping after eating has the potential to trigger chronic diseases such as diabetes and stroke. Eating high-carbohydrate or sugary foods before going to bed can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels. (https://whatthefab.com/) This can disrupt overall glucose control.
Besides that, certain types of foods, such as dairy products and high-fat meals, can contribute to snoring and sleep apnea, which are associated with stroke.
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Give Time Gap Between Eating and Sleeping
It is recommended to give yourself time to digest food before going to bed for at least 2-3 hours. During this time interval, the food you consume has gone through the digestive process and stomach acid production also begins to decrease because the stomach has finished grinding food.
Even though the digestive process is not completely finished, at least the stomach is now empty and food only needs to go through the process of absorption of nutrients.If you are going to sleep soon after eating, choose foods that are light and easy to digest.
Source: health.kompas.com, hellosehat.com
