Eating dinner late at night might raise your blood sugar, even if you stay up for hours afterward, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins. Researchers found that people who ate close to bedtime had higher blood sugar levels than those who ate earlier. This happened no matter when they went to sleep.
The study tracked 13 healthy adults in a sleep lab. Each person tried different dinner and bedtime combinations. When they ate dinner late — about an hour later, their body started producing melatonin — their blood sugar rose 11% more than after an earlier meal. Sleeping later didn’t fix the problem.
Experts say it’s best to eat dinner a few hours before your body naturally gets sleepy. Your internal clock helps control how well you process food, especially sugar. Paying attention to your sleep and meal timing could help prevent future problems like insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
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