Is Going to Bed Hungry Good for Weight Loss? What Science Says

If you’ve cut down on your calorie intake because you hope to lose some weight, you may have realized that you tend to go to bed hungry more often than not. 

‘Going to bed hungry intermittent fasting’ is a common search term that people who are following this eating pattern – but don’t necessarily count calories – may find themselves looking up.

Is going to bed hungry for weight loss a good thing, or should you fill up a little more before you head to bed? Read on to learn more about the benefits of going to bed hungry and above all, when this is a good thing and when it’s not.

Is It Good to Be Hungry When You’re Trying to Lose Weight?

We wouldn’t say it’s good to feel hungry, but it may or may not be something to worry about. 

The first thing you need to understand is that it’s normal to be a little hungry when you’re trying to lose weight, especially if you follow the first rule of weight loss which is to have a calorie deficit.

A calorie deficit occurs when your body burns more calories than you consume. As you get your calories through food and drink, reducing the amount of these foods and drinks you consume daily helps create a deficit. A deficit can also be created through increased exercise alone or a combination of increased exercise and eating less food.

If you reduce the amount of food you consume in a day (and/or increase how much energy you expend), your body will need some time to adjust and before it does, you may feel hungrier than normal and will likely feel hungry at night – this is a completely normal reaction to a deficit.

So if this is normal, why do we say that going to bed hungry may or may not be a problem?

The answer lies in how many calories you consume throughout the day – basically, the right calorie deficit is a good thing for weight loss, but it can get too extreme.

According to researchers, a good target calorie deficit for weight loss is eating 500 to 750 calories less than your daily energy expenditure (1). However, the ideal range may vary from person to person. If you’ve consumed the right amount of calories throughout the day and have eaten your last meal but still feel hungry at bedtime, then it may be okay to go to bed hungry, but it’s also okay to have a small, balanced snack to help you sleep better. Look for something that is high in protein and fiber but low in calories.  

However, being hungry at bedtime may also be a sign that your calorie intake is too low. A bad calorie deficit happens when you eat too few calories in the hopes of losing weight faster. While this may seem like a good idea on paper, it’s a dangerous risk in reality. 

If you eat too few calories, you’ll go to bed hungry each night and are highly likely to experience other side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, headache, dizziness/orthostatic hypotension, fatigue, cold intolerance, dry skin, menstrual irregularities, and hair loss (2). If you don’t correct this mistake, it may lead to muscle loss too.

Remember that eating less than the recommended target may result in weight loss, but only if it’s done under very close professional medical supervision. If you’re unsure if your deficit is too extreme or just right, we suggest you use a reputable calorie-counting app to track how much you eat and estimate your energy needs. The final result will tell you if you’re on track for a good and healthy deficit or a bad one.

Is It Better to Go to Bed Hungry or Full?

As a general rule, it’s better to go to bed feeling comfortably full than hungry. However, if you’ve reached your recommended calorie limit for the day, then you may have to go to bed hungry, particularly if that hunger is more of a craving rather than your body telling you you haven’t eaten enough. Getting better in touch with your body’s hunger and fullness cues can help you tell the difference. 

When it comes to weight loss, progress is made by inches, not miles, so it’s much harder to track and a lot easier to give up. The BetterMe: Health Coaching app is your personal trainer, nutritionist, and support system all in one. Start using our app to stay on track and hold yourself accountable!

Should I Eat If I’m Hungry at Night?

That depends. 

If you still have some calorie allowance left over, you can go ahead and eat something – just make sure the calorie intake fits whatever number is left over on your daily allocation. However, as previously mentioned, if you’ve already consumed your allocated calories for the day, you should try to evaluate why you’re feeling hungry. Were you more physically active than usual? Might your calorie intake estimation be off? Or did you just see an advertisement for ice cream and suddenly want some? If you think your body is telling you that you need to eat, then you should eat. 

It’s also important to note that eating at night, particularly later at night, is often not recommended. Studies have suggested that late-night eating may be associated with increased risk of all-cause, cancer, and diabetes mortality, in addition to becoming overweight or obese (3, 4). However, other factors are likely also at play.

It should be noted that if you have to eat late at night, it may be a good idea to make sure the meal is small, nutrient-dense, and balanced (5).

Read more: Smart Carbs: Making Better Carbohydrate Choices

Why Can’t I Sleep on an Empty Stomach?

It’s not easy to sleep when you’re truly hungry. Your stomach may be growling and sending signals to your brain that it wants you to eat. If you’re hungry and can’t fall asleep, eat a small, balanced, nutrient-dense snack that leaves you feeling comfortably full,  but not overly full. 

How to Reduce Hunger Without Eating

From the section above, it can be seen that what happens if you sleep on an empty stomach is that you’re likely to lose out on sleep. Losing a few hours of sleep may not seem like a big deal, but researchers warn that failure to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep could lead to a slew of problems, such as an increased risk of incidences of cardiovascular morbidity, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, the derailment of cognitive functions, vehicular accidents, and increased accidents in workplaces (6). 

In a more recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers found that neuroimaging was indicative of poorer brain health in the brains of middle-aged adults who got less than 7 hours of sleep a night.  (7).

Thankfully, there are some ways to reduce hunger even when on a deficit, which may help you fall asleep better and not lose out on sleep. Some of these tips include

• Eat More Protein

Research has shown that this macronutrient helps boost satiety, which means you’ll feel fuller for longer. Protein also helps temporarily increase your metabolism, which is fantastic if you’re trying to lose weight (8). Try switching to a higher-protein diet

• Eat More High-Fiber Foods

Research has shown that fiber can increase perceived satiety (9), which is great if you’re trying to reduce the feelings of hunger before bed. The best high-fiber foods include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils, and nuts and seeds.

If you wish to free yourself from all the extra pounds that have been weighing you down for way too long, start using the BetterMe: Health Coaching app and overhaul your entire life!

• Adjust Your Meal Times

This tip can work for anyone, but is perhaps most beneficial for those who practice intermittent fasting (IF). As IF limits your feeding hours, moving your feeding window to later in the day may be helpful. 

For example, if you’re on the 16:8 pattern and your first meal is at noon and your last meal is at 8 pm but you go to sleep at around 10 or 11 pm, chances are you’ll start to feel hungry before bed. Therefore, instead of having your first meal at noon, open the feeding window at 2 pm, which pushes your last meal to 10 pm. The less time you have between your last meal and your bedtime, the less likely you are to feel hungry and lose out on sleep due to hunger.

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• Stay Hydrated

In a study published in the Clinical Nutrition Research journal in 2018, researchers found that drinking water before eating a meal led to a significant reduction in meal energy intake. Researchers stated that water intake may increase satiety, even though the mechanisms behind this are unknown (10).

If you start to feel hungry at night, drinking some water may help temporarily reduce this feeling, which could help you fall asleep. For those who are wondering what to drink during intermittent fasting, note that unsweetened tea or coffee are good options to have during the fasting window – just make sure that they’re decaffeinated options in the evening so they don’t keep you awake at night.

Read more: High Calorie Breakfast Ideas You Must Try for Muscle and Weight Gain

Is Waking Up Hungry Good?

Waking up hungry is a normal thing. However, extreme hunger is not considered a normal thing. If you’re suddenly waking up feeling extremely hungry, this may be due to the following reasons:

1. A calorie deficit that is too extreme and you’re eating too little.
2. You’ve increased your physical activity, which makes your body burn more calories. The side effect of this is more hunger.
3. A bad sleep schedule – research has suggested that inadequate sleep can make you more hungry the next day(11). Read more here to learn how to stop binge eating at night.
4. Thirst – sometimes the body interprets thirst as hunger so before you eat, try drinking some water and see how you feel.

Is drinking milk before bed good for weight loss? Find out here.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What kills hunger fast?

Drinking water is a quick and easy way to control hunger pangs. You can also consume something that is high in fiber or protein to satisfy your current hunger pangs and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

• What is low-calorie and filling?

Most vegetables, especially non-starchy vegetables, are very low-calorie but high in fiber, which means you can eat them (in high quantities if you wish) and they’ll help keep you full. Examples include dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, and beets.

Fruits are also another great low-calorie filling option. Fill up on apples, watermelon, all kinds of berries, pineapples, and papaya. Other foods and drinks you can have include popcorn, soups or broth, cottage cheese, and eggs.

• How long can you go without food?

Research on how long human beings can go without food is limited, likely due to ethical reasons. However, estimates suggest that a person can go a few weeks without eating. What we can say is that when there is limited food:

• Women may survive longer than men (12)
• Adults will very likely survive longer than children (13)
• Bigger/heavier people with more energy stores tend to survive longer than leaner people with less body fat (14)
• Availability of water – even without food, humans can survive for longer if water is available

• Is fasting at night good?

It may be. Research in animals and humans suggests that fasting may protect against diabetes, cancers, heart disease, and neurodegeneration, reduce obesity, hypertension, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis, and even delay aging (15). However, fasting isn’t a good idea for everyone, so you should talk to your healthcare provider to get individualized advice. 

The Bottom Line

The question “Is going to bed hungry good for weight loss?” is largely dependent on what your calorie consumption during the day is like and what message your body is trying to send you. If you eat nutritious foods and reach your recommended calorie intake for the day, then going to bed a little hungry may be okay if it doesn’t disrupt your sleep, but it’s also okay to have a small snack. Sometimes it takes time for your body to adjust to eating less.

However, if you undereat in the hope that going to bed hungry will help with your efforts, we would recommend against this. Yes, weight loss requires you to eat less, but eating less doesn’t mean starving yourself. Find your right deficit and stick to that.

Eat more protein and fiber and drink more water to try and reduce the late-night hunger pangs.