Late-Night Snacks Shorten Sleep and Tank Quality
Eating a heavy meal before bed, particularly after 8 PM, reduces total sleep time by approximately 20 minutes and worsens overall sleep quality, even after accounting for factors like age, sex, and BMI.
- Late-evening food intake after 8 PM shortens total sleep by an average of 20 minutes.
- Eaters report poorer sleep, reflected in higher PSQI scores measuring overall quality.
| Claim | Scientific Observation | Impact Magnitude | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eating after 8 PM reduces sleep time | Mean total sleep duration | 20 minutes shorter (6.4 vs. 6.6 hours) | Magazine et al. (2022), European Journal of Clinical Nutrition | ||
| Late-evening eating worsens sleep quality | Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores | Higher scores indicating poorer quality | Magazine et al. (2022), European Journal of Clinical Nutrition | ||
| Association independent of confounders | Adjusted for age, sex, BMI, lifestyle | Statistically significant effect | Magazine et al. (2022), European Journal of Clinical Nutrition |