It may seem strange that fasting for one or two hours before bed can make you feel less hungry in the morning. However, consuming a high-carb meal before bedtime can put you at risk of feeling extremely hungry the next morning. Why is that?
A significant portion of our diet consists of carbohydrates, which provide us with our primary energy source. Our brains and muscles prefer carbohydrates over other energy sources, such as fats and triglycerides.
However, our bodies can only utilize a certain amount of carbohydrates before excess carbohydrates begin to be converted into complex glucose chains known as glycogen, which are stored in the liver and muscles.
Some people often feel hungry before bed due to a drop in blood sugar levels. (Illustration).
You might be surprised to learn that your body enters a fasting state without having to fast all day. Simply put, your body achieves a fasting state once digestion is complete. Therefore, just a few hours after your last meal, your body begins to fast; it’s purely a physiological process.
When fasting or not eating for any period, our blood sugar levels will experience a slight decrease. To meet the body’s energy demands, the liver breaks down stored glycogen and supplies energy to the body’s cells.
Some people often feel hungry before bed due to a drop in blood sugar levels. When energy levels drop too low, the liver will maintain energy supply by utilizing stored glycogen. Upon waking, feelings of hunger may be reduced because the liver has kept your blood sugar stable while you slept. Furthermore, since physical activity during sleep is minimal, energy expenditure is also low.
Another contributing factor is the presence of two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, which regulate appetite. The levels of these two hormones are influenced by the quality and duration of sleep, leading to less hunger upon waking.
However, there is still a risk of feeling extremely hungry in the morning after consuming a high-carb meal before bed. This is due to elevated blood sugar and insulin levels following a high-carb meal. Because insulin helps normalize your blood sugar, it can drop too low, leading to ravenous feelings of hunger upon waking. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid high-carb meals before bedtime.
Carb is short for Carbohydrate and is one of the three macronutrient groups providing energy to the body, alongside protein and fat. Carbohydrates are a fundamental and essential component that delivers the necessary energy for daily bodily functions. Carbohydrates consist of starch and sugar, divided into two forms: simple carbs (found in fruits, grains, starch, and dairy products, etc.) and complex carbs (found in legumes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.). According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States, the recommended daily intake of carbs for adults is around 300g in a 2,000-calorie diet. However, specific carbohydrate needs may vary based on individual requirements, with carbohydrates ideally making up about 45-65% of total calorie intake. Each gram of carbohydrate provides approximately 4 calories. In a daily diet containing 1,800 calories, the ideal carbohydrate intake ranges from 202 to 295g. However, individuals with diabetes should limit carbohydrate consumption to about 200g, while pregnant women need at least 175g of carbohydrates daily. |
