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The downsides of eating before bed
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Posted On :
Jan-05-2012
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Article Word Count :
518
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This content tells you why eating before bed is unhealthy and is a bad practice. Furthermore, it provides info on what a hypnic jerk is, and the sleep symptoms one can get from eating before bed.
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After a hard day's work, it's finally time to turn in. You expect a great night's sleep to prepare you for another long day. You hit the lights when you feel the familiar urge creeping up. You take down the sheets and pay attention to your urges; the next thing you know, you are feverishly eating before bed.
Night eating syndrome is an issue where a person eats an excessive amount of food before going to bed or even in the middle of the night. Most of the people with the disorder state that they have to eat before going to bed to ensure that they sleep well. You'll find unusual cases, however, where persons are not aware of their nightly binges, waking up and visiting the kitchen in a sleeping state.
Night eating syndrome is brought on by a number of factors including stress, hormone imbalances, genetic tendencies, eating disorder, mood disorder, anxiety, depression and obesity.
Why eating before bed is unhealthy
-Individuals that have this problem eat irregularly during the day. They are left feeling stuffed and tend to feel nauseous in the morning. They choose to skip breakfast and eat lightly making their food intake uneven. Since there are few calories consumed during the day, people are compelled to eat meals throughout the evening, continuing the unhealthy cycle.
-Individuals feel exhaustion each morning. The body prepares itself for sleep after dinner by reducing the body's metabolism. When this happens, the body slows down the rate at which it burns calories. Eating before bed forces your body to spend energy processing food where it could actually have spent the energy needed to keep the heart beating, lungs pumping and sustaining eye movement during REM.
-Eating before bed brings about stomach cramps and bloating. Food might not be properly digested during the night triggering cramps and a feeling of bloating. It's a result of gas and food particles left from poor digestion.
-Slows growth! If your body is compelled to expend energy digesting food during the night, the human growth hormone (HGH) production decreases. It's a bad thing considering that HGH burns fat and develops muscles.
-Folks with this condition may experience insomnia. Such a thing happens whenever they feel like they have not eaten the amount of food needed before bedtime.
Don't be frightened though when you have a hypnic jerk--it isn't brought on by eating before bed. A hypnic jerk is often described as a falling sensation or an electric shock. It takes place during the Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleep when a person is sleeping uncomfortably. It also takes place when a person is overly-tired.
A hypnic jerk is a normal experience. It occurs because of the body's changing temperature and breathing when falling asleep. It is the result of muscles relaxing. The brain misconstrues this as a sign of falling. The brain then alerts our limbs to wake up; thus the jerking legs or arms. Hypnic jerks generally take place only once or twice a night.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The downsides of eating before bed_128870.aspx
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Author Resource :
Tia Arnold is a doctor that knows the bad effects of eating before bed and what hypnic jerk means.
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Keywords :
eating before bed, hypnic jerk,
Category :
Health and Fitness
:
Health and Fitness
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