# Eating a big supper or a late one and waking up hungry **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899 "2003-05-17T15:01:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/1 "2003-05-17T15:01:46Z")
why is it that every time i eat alot for supper or eat late so i’m completely full when i fall asleep, i wake up hungrier than usual? is it because my digestive system has been working all night and hasn’t “gone to sleep” yet? ---
**Author:** ![Peach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@Peach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peach)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/2 "2003-05-17T19:33:05Z")
i noticed that too. when i eat alot of food before bed, I’m always starving the next morning. but if I eat a light dinner (or no dinner), I can go for hours the next morning and not feel hungry. weird, huh? ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/3 "2003-05-17T20:31:17Z")
There is truth I believe to the shrunken/stretched stomach difference. That’s one of the reasons stomach stapling helps weight loss. The smaller the stomach, the less tendency to feel hungry. Low blood sugar also causes hunger. So, a large, late meal"Stretches"the stomach," causing a more empty feeling in the morning. Of course I 'll leave alone what else can cause AM empty feelings. BTW, I am in the medical field, so this is not just wild theory. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/4 "2003-05-17T22:53:04Z")
Eat big or late meal, blood sugar peaks during the night, body works overtime making lots of insulin, blood sugar drops in response to this, wake up hungry. There are other possibilities that come into play. However, without taking a full medical history its not worth going into. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![plain\_jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@plain\_jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plain_jane)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/5 "2003-05-18T02:08:58Z")
I have the opposite thing happen to me. If I eat a lot, or late, I still feel full in the morning and can’t want to eat 'til around noon. What would cause that? ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/6 "2003-05-18T02:16:42Z")
The above doc is correct, but the last time I checked we can’t do complete medical histories/ exams here. Some people have slower metabolism , or stomach emptying than others, but in 3 hours most stomachs are empty. Could also be related to blood sugar as we both said, or perhaps medicine one is taking. Otherwise, I think you are in the minority. Sorry I couldn’t help more. ---
**Author:** ![Peach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@Peach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peach)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/7 "2003-05-18T05:16:56Z")
makes sense to me Doc. ---
**Author:** ![lurker\_anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@lurker\_anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurker_anonymous)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/8 "2003-05-18T05:54:32Z")
i am the same way!!! i try to eat my big meal in the afternoon, and then only eat a little sandwich when i get home. if i eat big at night, i am hugry in the morning also. i think qadgop is on to it in the post above. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-a-big-supper-or-a-late-one-and-waking-up-hungry/175899/9 "2003-05-18T06:09:49Z")
Well, I also have an MD degree, & did note blood sugar regulates hunger too. Generally people are the same,the mean, but most differ too. We always used to ask,“why don’t the patients read the text books?” It was tongue in cheek, but look how much a problem SARS is, what seems like it should be easily treated. Human physiology is so complicated. Only recently did we learn a little about where fevers come from & how aspirin brings them down. Eg, I still don’t think thr"purpose" of a fever is agreed upon