It’s not uncommon to hear someone talking about how they don’t eat after dinner, nothing after 6pm, feeling sluggish in the morning because they ate right before bed, if they eat late at night they gain weight like it’s nothing. This may have more to do with what and how much they are eating as opposed to the act of eating before bed itself. If planned for properly, a bedtime snack can actually be beneficial!
 
What’s so good about it?
 
By properly planning and having an appropriate snack you can actually build muscle while you sleep. No, it isn’t too good to be true. It’s a great opportunity to keep improving and recovering in a fairy easy manner. It’s another small adjustment that can result in big changes long term.
 
To achieve these benefits the thing you want to focus on is……PROTEIN! Consuming protein 30-60 minutes before you go to bed will provide your body with the building blocks your muscles need to continue building and repairing while asleep.6
 
What makes this timing different than normally consuming protein during the day every 3-4 hours is that when we’re sleeping, our body releases all of the fun muscle building hormones (eg testosterone, growth hormone).2,4,5 Adding protein into the mix helps enhance the effect of those hormones.
 
The amount to consume depends on your size but in general 20-30 grams is sufficient. This is similar to the amount recommended for meals and snacks to maximize your muscle building and repair.
 
If given the option, casein protein seems to be the top choice for bedtime protein. Casein is a form of protein found in dairy like whey protein, but is digested slower than whey. This slow release will help prolong the duration in which protein is in your blood being delivered to your muscles and continuing to help build and repair your muscles. Whey is a fine option as well but because it is digested faster, it may not have as long a duration to stimulate muscle building. Overall, if you don’t have or can’t find a casein powder supplement, whey will be good as well. What I would recommend over a supplement though would be to get it from food. Having Greek yogurt or some cottage cheese is a perfect option.
 
This all helps emphasize the importance of giving yourself the appropriate amount of time to sleep! It plays a major role in so many things and should not be overlooked if you’re wanting to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to improve.1,3,7
 
So eating before you go to bed isn’t a bad thing! It can be good and beneficial for helping you build muscle and recover if you plan that snack appropriately. The benefits won’t be seen or noticed after one night of eating some Greek yogurt but over the course of an entire season and career the benefits can be substantial. It always comes down to those little details to separate yourself from the competition so make sure you’re not missing out on a good opportunity to continue improving yourself!
 
1. Copenhaver EA, Diamond AB. The Value of Sleep on Athletic Performance, Injury, and Recovery in the Young Athlete. Pediatr Ann. 2017 Mar 1;46(3):e106-e111.
2. Cortés-Gallegos V, Castañeda G, Alonso R, Sojo I, Carranco A, Cervantes C, Parra A. Sleep deprivation reduces circulating androgens in healthy men. Arch Androl. 1983 Mar;10(1):33-7.
3. Kohn TP, Kohn JR, Haney NM, Pastuszak AW, Lipshultz LI. The effect of sleep on men’s health. Transl Androl Urol. 2020 Mar;9(Suppl 2):S178-S185.
4. Lamon S, Morabito A, Arentson-Lantz E, Knowles O, Vincent GE, Condo D, Alexander SE, Garnham A, Paddon-Jones D, Aisbett B. The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiol Rep. 2021 Jan;9(1):e14660.
5. Luboshitzky R, Herer P, Levi M, Shen-Orr Z, Lavie P. Relationship between rapid eye movement sleep and testosterone secretion in normal men. J Androl. 1999 Nov-Dec;20(6):731-7.
6. Reis CEG, Loureiro LMR, Roschel H, da Costa THM. Effects of pre-sleep protein consumption on muscle-related outcomes – A systematic review. J Sci Med Sport. 2021 Feb;24(2):177-182. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.07.016. Epub 2020 Aug 7.
7. de Sousa Nogueira Freitas L, da Silva FR, Andrade HA, Guerreiro RC, Paulo FV, de Mello MT, Silva A. Sleep debt induces skeletal muscle injuries in athletes: A promising hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2020 Sep;142:109836. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109836. Epub 2020 May 12.