Are We Programmed to Snack at Night?
New research shows that appetite peaks at night—exactly when weight loss experts tell us to stop eating. Should you listen to your body?
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Are you an evening snacker? You’re not alone. Even though people in the U.S. commonly eat their largest meal at the end of the day, many people still have a powerful urge to snack after dinner. Weight loss clients often tell me that they eat well all day but then everything falls apart in the evening. After dutifully sticking to their healthy, low calorie eating plan through breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they find themselves powerless to resist high-calorie salty snacks and sweets in the evening. It’s as if we just we run out of will power at the end of the day. But it turns out there may be a biological explanation for this.
Researchers at https://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_events/news/2013/04-29-study-explains-what-trig.cfm recently found that our appetite has a strong circadian (or, daily) rhythm that’s completely independent of the timing of our meals or our sleep patterns. No matter what eating and sleeping schedule the subjects in this study were on, their appetite peaked at 8pm and was lowest at 8am.
Now consider the usual dietary advice: We’re told to /health-fitness/healthy-eating/is-skipping-breakfast-bad-for-you and refrain from /health-fitness/healthy-eating/ask-diva-does-eating-late-cause-weight-gain. In other words, we’re supposed to eat when we don’t feel like it and stop eating just as our appetite reaches its peak. No wonder we struggle!
Shouldn’t You Just Eat When You’re Hungry?
I have to tell you that when I first read this research, my initial response was: Why fight biology? Why compel ourselves to eat breakfast if we’re not hungry and then force ourselves to stop eating right as our body’s signal to eat is strongest? Don’t our bodies usually know best about these things? Then again, our bodies obviously weren’t designed to live sedentary lives in which we are constantly surrounded by high-calorie foods.
We also go to bed a lot later and get sleep less than we used to. Sleep deprivation has a direct effect on hunger and appetite, https://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-appetite than we do on days when we’re well rested. In particular, being under-rested seems to stimulate the desire for high-calorie foods.
It’s not surprising, therefore, that sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain. In fact, https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/03/11/study-lack-of-sleep-causes-weight-gain-in-just-a-few-days found that skimping on sleep every night for a week led to an average weight gain of 2 pounds! Fortunately, when the subjects in that study got a full night’s sleep every night for a week, they lost the weight.
That may not be much help if you’re under-rested because of a new baby or a demanding job or some other factor beyond your control. But if you’re sacrificing precious hours of sleep to hang out on https://www.facebook.com/NutritionDiva or watch Family Guy marathons—and the number on the scale is inching upwards—it might be time to rethink your priorities.
Steven Shea is one of the scientists who did the research on appetite and circadian rhythms. As he explains, “You stay up later, during a time when you’re hungrier…and you’re more likely to eat during that time. Then you get less sleep, both of which contribute to weight gain.” It’s a perfect storm, isn’t it?
The 8pm Rule
One popular weight loss strategy is to never eat after 8pm. Seeing as people often eat a considerable number of recreational calories in the evening, following this rule could definitely help you lose some weight. On the other hand, it takes an awful lot of will-power to stick to the 8pm rule. And Shea’s research might explain why.
Going to bed earlier, as Shea suggests, could mean that you sleep through at least some of this period of craving and end up eating less. It would also probably mean that you get more sleep, which could reduce cravings for high-calorie foods the next day.
“If weight loss is a goal,” Shea says, “knowing how your body operates will help you make better choices. Going to bed earlier, getting enough sleep, and choosing lower-calorie foods rather than higher-calorie foods in the evening can all help with weight loss.”
Next Week: Does Timing of Meals Matter?
I’ll have more to say next week about the timing of calorie intake and how that relates to weight gain and maintenance. Until then, I’m interested to hear your thoughts and experience on this topic. Are you hungrier at night than in the morning? Do you eat more of your calories in the first half of the day or in the second? Do you find that the quality of your food choices decreases over the course of the day? Have you found that manipulating the timing of your meals makes a difference in your weight or in the nutritional qualify of your diet? Does exercise change the equation for you? Post your comments below or on the https://www.facebook.com/NutritionDiva and we’ll pick up the conversation next week!
Midnight Snack image from Shutterstock
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
