# eating too soon before going to bed = weight gain - true or old wive's tale? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-too-soon-before-going-to-bed-weight-gain-true-or-old-wives-tale/319066 "2005-08-29T04:31:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-too-soon-before-going-to-bed-weight-gain-true-or-old-wives-tale/319066/1 "2005-08-29T04:31:08Z")
It seems to be a common belief, but is it true? It seems to be BS to me - I know that one needs to burn off food, but if you’re eating less calories than you’re using anyway, how can it make a difference? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-too-soon-before-going-to-bed-weight-gain-true-or-old-wives-tale/319066/2 "2005-08-29T06:53:08Z")
[Diet Myths](http://www.calorieking.com/library/article.php?path=13,14&art_id=649&page=3) > [@](#): > > Diet Myths > If you’re watching you’re weight, don’t eat after eight > > Does eating at night really cause your body to store more fat because it doesn’t have the chance to burn it off through activity? > > The short of it: Studies have shown that your body stores extra calories as fat no matter what time of the day you consume them. What’s important is how many calories you eat during the whole day and how many you burn off. Your net calorie intake doesn’t change just because you eat after eight! And your body doesn’t store more fat because it’s night time. > > The morsel of truth to this myth is that people who eat little or nothing during the day and then consume all their calories in the evening are often more overweight than those who eat regular meals spread throughout the day. That’s because regular meals help to control appetite and metabolism. Eating two hours before sleeping as night-time eating can also interfere with sleeping patterns. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-too-soon-before-going-to-bed-weight-gain-true-or-old-wives-tale/319066/3 "2005-08-29T08:12:15Z")
Didn’t Scrooge try to explain the first Ghost of Christmas as a “bit of undigested potato,” or something like that? Maybe you won’t gain wait, but you might have some very interesting dreams. Seriously, I often eat before sleeping (because of work), and I haven’t noticed any weight gain. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-too-soon-before-going-to-bed-weight-gain-true-or-old-wives-tale/319066/4 "2005-08-29T16:03:09Z")
If you have problems with reflux, (aka really bad heartburn or GERD) laying down with a stomach full of food is a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-too-soon-before-going-to-bed-weight-gain-true-or-old-wives-tale/319066/5 "2005-08-29T18:19:29Z")
Insulin sensitivity peaks in the morning and drops off as the day goes by, so there might be something to this. You’re not going to gain more weight than there is matter in the food you take in, of course, but it’s more easily stored as fat when your insulin sensitivity is down. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-too-soon-before-going-to-bed-weight-gain-true-or-old-wives-tale/319066/6 "2005-08-29T21:57:22Z")
By the math alone, it does not matter when you eat. However, eating at the wrong times and poor eating habits can lead to an unstable hunger drive. Eating nutritonally poor foods in the evening would have an indirect cause on weight gain. If you can eat your proper am’t of cals every day, and you can do this by eating at any hour…then do so. Chances are, if you are eating ‘good foods’ (and this is realtive) you’ll dodge insulin spikes (which tinker with hunger pains) and you’ll be fine.