1 out of 7 Australians has a habit of eating in bed. But did you know this habit has many serious consequences that most people do not realize? Aside from the obvious of causing dirty sheets, there are many more reasons why we should stop romanticizing this idea.
Want to know which of these you should stop doing? Read below the ten reasons why you should not eat in bed and see how it affects you.
1. It Invites Pests and Dirt to Your Bed
Eating on your bed can cause unwanted critters to stay and infest your bed. Insects thrive on tiny crumbs and spaces, and your mattress has many. They can hide under the sheets or folds, and whatever crevices of pieces of food are hidden. Dusting and wiping won’t work as pests can still smell where food crumbs are.
If it’s your regular habit to have midnight snacks and your bed is the best place, it’s better to stop this habit and avoid eating near your bedsheets or in the bedroom entirely. Pests and insects can use your bedroom as a breeding ground, eventually leading to house infestations. It’s better to leave the food outside on dining tables and eat your midnight indulges elsewhere instead.
2. Its a Sign of Bad Habit and Discipline
Eating in bed can lead to developing bad habits such as overeating, laziness, tardiness, and overall untidiness. When you eat in bed, you tend to have less perception of what you eat and the situation around you, leading to distracted meal time. The bed is for sleeping and rest, and eating doesn’t belong there.
This can also cause disorderliness. Cleanliness is next to godliness, and dirty sheets with food crumbs, stains, and smells and infested with pests indicate poor personal hygiene and lack of proper maintenance.
3. It Can Cause Bad Posture and Digestive Problems
People sit on chairs and eat on tables to promote good posture and help our digestive systems absorb food properly. When sitting and eating in bed, our normal body posture is bent and curved, causing our bodies to be stressed and affecting our stomachs in holding food down, which can lead to acid reflux, heartburn, and problems in indigestion.
Eating in bed before bedtime can cause weight gain and slow metabolic reactions in the body. When we sleep, our bodies are resting, and so are our organs. Eating three hours before sleeping is advised to prevent extra calories from staying in the body, allowing digestion to break down properly.
4. It Decreases Productivity and Disrupts Routines
Resting is essential to save energy and enhance productivity in our daily routines. However, snacking in bed during the day or night can cause distractions that may result in losing track of your tasks. This behavior could lead to procrastination and disrupt your routine, causing unproductive daily changes.
5. It Can Cause General Allergies and Skin Problems
When we eat in bed, crumbs and oils in food stay on the sheets, littering them with food debris for mites and insects to feed on. These leftover particles can also cause skin irritation and itching, spreading germs and bacteria within your living space. Allergies may also be triggered by this buildup of spoiled food on sheets, harming your skin and your health.
6. It Disrupts Good Sleep Hygiene
Eating late at night disrupts our circadian rhythm, which is not in line with our body’s natural process. Circadian rhythms regulate the sleep-wake cycles in our body by signaling cues that occur during morning and nighttime. Additionally, consuming food while in bed can lead to a loss of sleep since calories and carbohydrates provide energy boosts instead of allowing you to rest properly as required.
7. It Discourages Social Interactions
Eating is one way to socialize with others, such as family, friends, and roommates. The dining table is a social space that encourages positive gatherings and conversations. By using your bed as a dining area, you avoid developing vital social interactions and miss out on events that can boost your relationship with others—creating a gap between you and the people around you.
8. It Can Negatively Impact Mental Health
Eating is a mindful day activity, while sleeping is a nighttime resting meditation. Eating in bed before sleeping changes how you view these two things together, which can negatively impact how you approach your sleep routine and affect your mental health. It can also create feelings of shame and guilt associated with overeating.
This habit leads to episodes of depression and anxiety caused by circadian realignment.
Food is a happy reminder of self-care and indulgence, but it should not come at the cost of a good night’s sleep.
9. It Can Cause Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea affect many individuals. It occurs when breathing stops and starts while sleeping, leading to persistent interruptions in sleep patterns throughout the night.
One of the most significant causes of sleep apnea is overeating before bed, which can cause excess weight gain and pressure on the airways, making it difficult for an individual to breathe correctly during sleep.
10. It Can Destabilize Your Perception of Sleep
The primary purpose of our bedroom is to give us a safe and undisturbed space for sleep and relaxation, and our bed is one of these sacred spaces. As humans, we are easily conditioned through the things we do within our environment, which changes how we view things in the long run.
When you have a habit of eating in bed, your sleep pattern changes and your eating and sleeping routines merge into one. Now you think of sleep as a time for snacking, making you less likely to get a good night’s rest.
Final Words
While eating in bed may be necessary for some with health issues or disabilities, it is not a habit that should be encouraged among healthy individuals. If you regularly indulge in this behavior, taking a step back and assessing the impact on your overall well-being is important.
By consciously treating meals as a separate activity and keeping your sleeping space clean and comfortable, you can make positive changes towards healthier habits that benefit yourself and those around you.
References
- Bascom, E. (2022, September 15). Study: Nighttime eating worsens feelings of anxiety, depression. Healio. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20220915/study-nighttime-eating-worsens-feelings-of-anxiety-depression#:~:text=A%20study%20simulating%20night%20work,to%20establish%20a%20causal%20relationship.
- The Bedroom Report: Understanding Australia’s bedroom habits. (n.d.). Bedshed. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.bedshed.com.au/the-bedroom-report/index.php
- Justice, A. (2023, March 3). What Is Self Care, And What Is Not Self Care? BetterHelp. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/mindfulness/what-is-self-care-and-what-is-not-self-care/
- Tinsley, G. (2021, February 11). Is Eating Before Bed Good for You, or Bad? – Nutrition. Healthline. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eating-before-bed#6
- Yagoda, M. (2017, May 24). Is It Bad to Eat Most of Your Meals in Bed? Food & Wine. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://www.foodandwine.com/news/is-eating-in-bed-really-bad