HOW STAYING UP LATE AFFECTS YOUR DIET
It’s not always easy choosing healthy food over junk food, but your bedtime could be making your food choices significantly more difficult.
In a recent study, researchers found that people who go to sleep later (and who therefore wake up later) are more likely to eat unhealthier foods and exercise less.
But even though their food choices weren’t that great, researchers surprisingly found that the late sleepers weren’t overweight. They weren’t intaking that many more calories than the early risers; they were just eating less nutrient-dense foods.
Does this mean night owls can sleep late, eat whatever they want, and not gain a pound? Yes and no. Michael Breus, PhD, often referred to as the Sleep Doctor, theorizes that a late sleeper’s lack of weight gain might have something to do with his or her metabolism. “Night owls might genetically be programmed with a higher metabolic rate that makes up for eating high-fat, high-calorie foods,” he tells TIME. Still, it’s important to note that this study only looked at the sleep and eating habits of 96 people for a period of seven days—the subjects’ weight may have been under control for the time being, but that’s not to say their unhealthy food choices won’t catch up to them eventually.
But why does going to sleep after 12:30 a.m. make you want to hunt down the nearest pack of Oreos in the first place? It could simply be because of biology—you need more energy, so your body craves fattier eats. An active social life could also be a factor, since coming home late after a night of drinking frequently leads to poor food choices.
So does this mean night owls should drastically change their sleeping habits in order to have a healthier diet? Nope. The—those with late bedtimes should just be more aware of what they’re eating, especially since their bedtime may be working against them.