Experts said people should be eating more during the day and less at night to maintain good health. The digestive system works with the sun, according to Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Researchers said people digest food better during the day but when the sun sets the process starts to slow down. The digestive system sleeps when people sleep. 

But many people still enjoy having a full meal at night before bed. That could be a problem since eating two hours before bedtime may have some negative effects in the body.

Bad Effects of Late-Night Meals

Weight Gain

A report by Penn Medicine News showed that the people who usually eat late in the evening increase weight faster than others. They also metabolize more carbs and less fat and experience higher levels of insulin, fasting glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride.

Poor Memory 

A study conducted with mice found that late-night eating causes changes in the brain. Researchers found that the animals that ate during or close to their sleep time had a significant decline in memory and poor ability to learn.

Bad Dreams

The body should rest during sleep. But eating late at night may force the body to work overtime to digest food, which may influence dreams. 

Previous research with college students showed that those who commonly eat before bedtime had more bizarre or disturbing dreams. Researchers said bad digestion potentially led to their bad nights. 

Despite a number of reasons to avoid late-night eating, you should not completely close the kitchen before you go to bed. You can still eat but only a small, nutrient-dense snack, according to Wellness Mama.

Eating more during the day will also help you reduce your late-night meals. Hunger occurs at night potentially because you consume less in daylight. 

Another reason to avoid a full meal before sleep is that eliminating night-time eating also offers the same health benefits of intermittent fasting. It may help you lose weight, avoid chronic disease, improve your brain function and increase your longevity.