Why is it that I sleep better when I eat junk food at night?

[Iron5427]

When I eat a healthy dinner (lean meat, rice, veggies), and slightly under 2000 calories a day, I will sometimes not sleep very well, especially in the days following a squat workout.

When I eat junk food (pizza or burgers/fries with ice cream), I will sleep like a baby and have energy to workout on an empty stomach in the morning.

If I go out of town for the weekend (or an entire week) and eat more junk food (and averaging around 2700-2800 calories) then I sleep better and have more energy. I can't eat like this all the time or else I would gain weight.

What's the solution? It's like I have a choice to eat healthy and keep my weight down but feel like ****, or eat like **** and feel better but weight more. Is there a happy medium here? Have any of you guys had this issue?

[Mrpb]

Energy deficit is killing for sleep.

[Iron5427]

Energy deficit is killing for sleep.

So I need to keep the calories up and drastically increase the physical activity? Between work commute, etc, the average weekday is very sedentary outside of my workouts. Have been thinking of getting one of those standing desks.

I've dropped about 15 pounds, currently at 190 with upper teens bodyfat. I would be content staying at the same weight and slowly decrease fat while increasing muscle at the same time if this is possible.

[bcradio]

Try a protein shake right before going to sleep. This has solved that problem for me.

[WonderPug]

For some folks, consuming a large meal in the evening is conducive to better sleep. This effect can be particularly pronounced with using an intermittent fasting protocol where most or all of one's caloric intake is consumed in more meal.

Think of food coma after a large lunch, then think of leveraging that principle to induce an enervated state late in the evening. That said, there can be negatives associated with a large meal proximate to bedtime including but not limited to an increased risk of GERD.

[Mrpb]

So I need to keep the calories up and drastically increase the physical activity?

How would increasing activity keep you out of an energy deficit?

[kals87]

Add 100-200 calories every day to your diet, and maybe with higher fat contents. It's likely that you're not eating enough and your body can't last the entire night without needing food.

I use to have this problem not sleeping well or not being able to sleep at all unless I ate something. It didn't happen every night, but it would probably happen like once or twice a week. So I added another 200 calories everyday by using whole eggs instead of egg whites for breakfast and adding some sausage in my dinner. Ever since I did this, I have not had a problem with sleep.

By adding another 100-200 calories, you will see your weight go up on the scale, but that's just mainly due to the extra calories you're eating. Don't be alarmed by this. You haven't all of a sudden gained fat. Just go by how you look and feel.

[AdamWW]

Because...

[Iron5427]

Try a protein shake right before going to sleep. This has solved that problem for me.

I usually eat within a few hours of bedtime but that is worth a try. Thanks

[Iron5427]

For some folks, consuming a large meal in the evening is conducive to better sleep. This effect can be particularly pronounced with using an intermittent fasting protocol where most or all of one's caloric intake is consumed in more meal.

Think of food coma after a large lunch, then think of leveraging that principle to induce an enervated state late in the evening. That said, there can be negatives associated with a large meal proximate to bedtime including but not limited to an increased risk of GERD.

I guess this means I will need to experiment a bit.

[Iron5427]

How would increasing activity keep you out of an energy deficit?

By eating more calories.

I don't think I understood your first statement correctly btw.

[Iron5427]

Add 100-200 calories every day to your diet, and maybe with higher fat contents. It's likely that you're not eating enough and your body can't last the entire night without needing food.

I use to have this problem not sleeping well or not being able to sleep at all unless I ate something. It didn't happen every night, but it would probably happen like once or twice a week. So I added another 200 calories everyday by using whole eggs instead of egg whites for breakfast and adding some sausage in my dinner. Ever since I did this, I have not had a problem with sleep.

By adding another 100-200 calories, you will see your weight go up on the scale, but that's just mainly due to the extra calories you're eating. Don't be alarmed by this. You haven't all of a sudden gained fat. Just go by how you look and feel.

This is definitely worth a try, thanks. Perhaps I just need more fat in the diet, which is what these junk food meals is providing, but not the healthy meals.

[gbullock32]

By eating more calories.

I don't think I understood your first statement correctly btw.

You would still be in the same deficit though, so still craving energy even though eating more. It would be like putting 5 gallons more gas in your car, but then driving further; it would just negate the whole thing.

[Silencespeaks]

Can relate, life is overall much better when I eat more. My appetite is about double my maintenance so unfortunately I can't eat to appetite for extended periods or I would get fat. But when I do on vacations etc I enjoy life much more. Better sleep, better mood, better energy etc.

[BennoMac]

i had sleep issues cause of hormone imbalance due to low fats for so long... Takes months to get it back right.

[philgriffiths]

You would still be in the same deficit though, so still craving energy even though eating more. It would be like putting 5 gallons more gas in your car, but then driving further; it would just negate the whole thing.

Not quite what he's getting at I think. He is talking about increasing his TDEE as well as his calorie intake.
Yes, the calorie deficit would stay the same at the end of the day, but the increased volume of food eaten would possibly help him with his sleep pattern.

Some people don't want to just cut cals in order to maintain a deficit. The other side of that equation is still energy output - increase that and the deficit increases also.

[Mrpb]

I agree with GBullock, if you want to reduce your energy deficit you increase calorie intake. Increasing activity does the opposite. Sure you could increase calories even more but that's just a weird way to reduce the deficit.

However, if you're sedentary a lot that's unhealthy. You should make an effort to get up often and walk around.

[SubWooferCooker]

Reminds me of the time before i knew anything about optimal protein feedings and i tried "The warrior diet" which was one meal per day, I would have one huge feast in the evening The "carb coma" was very real, it felt amazing, very much drug like, within around 30 mins after the feast i would get this super intense relaxed, sleepy, coma, drug like effect and i slept like an absolute log, not to mention fasting all day made one huge feast taste like heaven. I have since learned that multiple protein feedings is optimal though, which is a shame because i loved that eating method.

[Iron5427]

I agree with GBullock, if you want to reduce your energy deficit you increase calorie intake. Increasing activity does the opposite. Sure you could increase calories even more but that's just a weird way to reduce the deficit.

Maybe I'll just try 200 below maintenance or maintenance as I'm okay with staying the same weight.

However, if you're sedentary a lot that's unhealthy. You should make an effort to get up often and walk around.

Yeah, I need to do that.

[packer43064]

Eating less and probably still lifting hard? Feel more tired than when you eat more on the weekends?

This is quite normal. It is not fun losing weight and lifting heavy.

What can you do? Not sure really, get that cut over with and at least get back to maintenance. It sucks man, I will never go on a full bulk ever again. 100-300 cals over a day tops.