THE DRAWBACKS OF SLEEPING IMMEDIATELY AFTER A MEAL

                                             The idea that anything you eat just before bed turns immediately to fat is not true, but there are good reasons for not sleeping right after a meal. When your body is filled with food, the food gets collected in your stomach. Then your body sends blood to your stomach then your stomach produces very important acids and enzymes needed to digest the food and send it to intestines as a result, you may feel drowsy or sleepy. While you are napping your body is hard at work digesting the last meal and this leads to various serious issues ranging from indigestion to a heart stroke.

The disadvantages of sleeping immediately after eating are:

·         Weight gain

·         Heart burn

·         GERD

·         Stroke

WEIGHT GAIN:

Many people think that going to bed after a meal will cause your body to use food as fat instead of energy. This is not true. The body uses food for energy and fat, whether you are awake or asleep. However when we are awake our body will have more capacity to burn more calories than we are asleep. Going to bed after meal slows the metabolism of the body, and will cause injested carbohydrates to be converted into fat instead of stored carbohydrates. Sleeping after eating do not always causes weight gain but it reduces your body calorie expenditure which can indirectly cause to you to put on weight. Sleeping immediately after a meal also causes belly fat.

HEART BURN:

Lying flat on your back immediately after a large meal may be good at first but, while your body is resting, your digestive system is hard at work. Heart burn is caused by an excess of stomach acid, which results in a burning sensation from stomach into your chest sometimes the sensation exceeds up to the throat which is accompanied by burping. This can make it difficult to get a good night sleep.

GERD:

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD or Acid reflux. This disease is caused by the valve between the stomach and oesophagus not closing all the way. Because of this disease the stomach acid released during the digestion back up into oesophagus, which leads to burning sensation. Sleeping immediately after a meal can make the condition more serious. If this condition is left untreated, the stomach acid washes up into your oesophagus and can damage the mucous membrane.

 STROKE:

Going to sleep right after a meal can increase your chances of having stroke. The scientific studies found that those who waited the longest between eating and sleeping were at the lowest risk of having stroke. The theory that acid reflux, is more likely to cause the sleep apnea is linked to strokes. Another theory is that the process of digestion and its effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels may also cause the stroke. There are more studies needed to confirm this.

 PRECAUTIONS:

·         You should have dinner two hours before going to bed.

·         Going for a walk or washing dishes after the meal is the best way of burning more calories before you go to bed.