2016-07-27
2016-07-27
Popular Quote Topics
I am having a lot of trouble sleeping and eating at night sometimes helps me get to sleep. Is that a mistake?
Over the years there have been a few studies and theories about eating before bed. They are contradictory, of course! One I heard said that food just stays in your stomach, doesn’t get digested and turns to fat. The other says that’s absolutely not true, the human digestive system is always working.
I try not to eat much before bed, but, like you, I believe a snack before bed soothes me and helps me to go to sleep. At least I think it does. But I suspect that's more an old habit than reality.
Last night, just as an experiment, I had nothing at all past 8pm and went to sleep around 11 on a totally empty stomach. No problem. I stayed asleep, deeply at that, on a totally empty stomach. I woke up feeling thinner and rested.
My view is: If you need a little snack before bed, and it helps you sleep, no problem. Just keep it within your "Joy of Weight Loss Eating Plan". Keep track of how much and from what food group you're eating throughout the day, and be sure to "save" enough food for bedtime. You may also want to try eating less. How about just 3 crackers and 1/2 cup of milk or juice?
What works best for me, and many of my clients, is to surrender all my problems, thoughts, and worries to God. I also make sure to focus my thoughts on God--meditating on how wonderful my life is and how grateful I am to be alive and well--as I drift off. God always takes total care of me while I sleep, and I rest assured.
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