Is dinner time effecting our sleep & health?

Most of us start our days in a rush. Rushing to get up because we hit the snooze one too many times, dropping kids off at school and fighting traffic to get to work. Breakfast is skipped and lunch may be a small portion of left overs and a snack, definitely not enough to sustain us all day.

You get home from work and head straight for the kitchen to snack on something while you cook dinner. Dinner is served and afterwards, our sweet tooth gets the best of us, leaving us stuffed right before bedtime!

For more than two decades, Katherine Tallmadge, has been a registered dietician and diet counselor. She has found that overeating during the evening hours contributes to many peoples’ weight gain and insomnia.

Eating a large dinner at night throws off your body’s natural rhythms.  The later you eat, the less your body is prepared to sleep, which can have negative effects on your memory and efficiency for the next day. According to Care2 Healthy Living eating late at night may not only effect your rest, it can actually make you hungrier and will make your metabolism slow down.

With our jam-packed schedule’s nearly half of Americans report falling victims to eating late and struggling to get to sleep, according to WebMD. We’re all guilty of late night snacking at one time or another, but with the right choices, you don’t have to choose between a snack or a great night’s sleep. So, next time you find yourself in the mood for a bed time snack, try something light such as whole wheat crackers with peanut butter or a small bowl of cereal. Share with us your favorite bed time snack… We’re always looking for more yummy options.