Hi all
How long before sleeping is it safe to eat dessert? I have a major sweet tooth and more often than not, I end up eating sugary foods after dinner, e.g. donuts, cookies, and/or ice cream. This is usually about 3 hours before I go to bed.
I’m trying to cut back on the dessert, but it occurred to me that eating anything sugary (including fruit) too close to bedtime can negatively effect sleep. How long generally should one wait after eating dessert before going to bed?
Thanks!
This happened to me last night, had a piece of cake at 10pm. Barely slept all night, so today has been crap, including my workout. Honestly, for me it’s probably worse than drinking.
That’s interesting. One my struggles is waking up at 3AM as well, I’ve really been trying to figure out what my issue is. Maybe I’ll try to go cold turkey with sugary foods after lunch.
I try not to eat anything for the 3 hours before going to bed. When I eat too close to bedtime I have a terrible sleep and sweat a lot (the body/digestive system is constantly working to breakdown the food). Some mornings I’ll wake up and feel hungover just like I used to when I was drinking alcohol.
For me not eating 3 hours before bed has been a game changer for sleep and just feeling better the next day.
Bringing this back up. Anyone got any ideas for dessert that doesn’t affect sleep?
Background increasing kcals intake and need something different so not to induce palate fatigue. Dessert is an easy way but if it affects sleep its not worth it.
Me too - racing heart rate, irritability - horrible.
Fruit? Frozen fruit, blitzed with a little milk and some casein/whey is nice (sorbet consistency).
This was me last night haaha.
Fruit isn’t a bad idea but have quite a bit in the day already. I wonder if something more fatty like greek yog or cream and fruit would affect it less.
Casein and yoghurt?
Its very individual dependent @Dunk but the figure I have heard that eating almost anything 2-3hours before bed can disturb sleep. Yoghurt and fruit have their own sugars, fluids, etc in them which can disturb sleep but its all pretty individual specific and they work better for you than other things.
Yeah i agree there. I train early pre-breakfast so usually have a large-ish dinner with lots of carbs (rice/potato) but not usually dessert or simple sugars per say. Tried having some dessert yesterday nothing crazy just a small chocolate mousse but wow sleep was awful, bolt awake at 2am for a few hours!
My thoughts not are to include these pre/post training (as looking to increase kcals) or just suck it up and eat more sweet potato / rice.
Not a bad idea but usually have something similar to this post-training for breakfast. Plus i cant tolerate huge amount of dairy. So one portion a day seems sensible right now.
Get some digestive enzymes or “carb cutter” it helps digestion of carbs and sugars. Sugar shakes and sleeping never work, I need like 5 hours before bed after a big sweet dessert.
Already have and take digestive enzymes.
I really need to learn how to eat in a surplus without affecting sleep. One thinks more earlier (though that can make the day sluggish) or the less optimal high energy stuff around training.
I don’t understand how this “3 hour rule” would impact sleep more than 3 hours after you ate.
For example:
Lots of biological variation. I eat an apple with cheese pretty much every night. I sleep great. I like to think the tyramines in the cheese help things out, but really - I just love cheese. I’ve added a plant-based-protein (just what I have around) in milk as well after listening to the protein spiel on the podcast. I still sleep great. I do know that if I eat carb heavy before bed it usually makes me super duper hungry in the AM, whereas with everything else I can take or leave breakfast (except for coffee - nobody gets in the way of my morning cup).
I am generally starving around bedtime and if I don’t eat something I don’t sleep well - and usually end up getting one restless cycle of sleep in before waking up and getting a midnight snack.
The thing that screws up my sleep (other than hunger) is alcohol - no beer after 8 PM for me. I can have a “wee nip” (around 10 ml) of bourbon though an hour or so before bed and have no issues with that 
This should have little to no affect on your sleep.
I’m not sure if/how much this affects other people but for me not being able to sleep tends to create some level of anxiety over not sleeping which creates a positive feedback loop.
That said, I don’t like sleeping hungry, either. If my last meal is too far before I go to sleep I’ll drink a casein shake.
I must be of a different species 
Normal eating does not affect sleeping.
What’s this need for dessert to prevent “palate fatigue”? I don’t even know what that is.
Sugar is best to be avoided several hours before you go to bed because it tends to make you more active.
And also because your body digests it quicker so it wants a refill sooner.
Large amounts of fats can also be heavy to digest.
For a late night snack something light, with some protein might be the best.
Or at least that is the theory.
Stuff which I might eat when I have a light hunger right before going to bed: some nuts, milk, cheese, greek yoghurt.
With maybe a little bit of fruit to make the yoghurt less sour.
So, if dairy is somewhat of an issue … go for some nuts, try to pick some with a high protein content.
But don’t take in a pound, just a handfull.