Why you should never eat in bed
Whether you're enjoying a leisurely breakfast in bed or having a snack while watching a film in the sack, there are times when eating in bed is a tempting prospect.
It may be a one-time occurrence or something you regularly partake in, but you're definitely not alone, with a recent study conducted by IKEA finding at least 22% of respondents admitting to eating a meal in bed the previous year and a further study revealing that one in seven Brits chow down on takeaways in bed.
But while it can be tempting to curl up in bed and binge watch Netflix with all the snacks, experts say there are some pretty important reasons you really shouldn't be using your duvet as a dining table.
It could attract bugs
Crumbs in the bed are always annoying, but food leftovers can also attract bugs and other crawlies like flies, ants and even cockroaches.
According to Dr Deborah Lee, pseudomonas aeruginosa, a harmful bacteria often found on cockroaches and their droppings, can actually end up on your pyjamas, clothing or bedding, putting your health at risk.
"This bacteria can cause infection, and infections can be difficult to treat due to pseudomonas aeruginosa’s natural resistance to antibiotics," she tells MattressNextDay. "Therefore, it’s crucial to keep your sleeping area free from food debris."
If you really can't resist the lure of a lunch al duvet, Dr Lee suggests upping the number of times you wash your bed linen.
“Whilst it’s recommended that you change your bedding once a week, if you are eating in bed, that will need to increase to twice a week, to avoid those pesky critters," she explains.
It's not great for digestion
Not only can munching on top of your mattress invite creepy crawlies into your sleep environment, it can also have a knock-on impact on your gut health and digestive system, particularly if you're snacking horizontally.
"Lying down while eating can cause discomfort, bloating, or even acid reflux by blocking the natural flow of your digestion," explains Dr Lee.
"Reflux worsens when lying down because gravity no longer helps keep stomach acid down, making it easier for the acid in the stomach to move up into the oesophagus. This can cause heartburn while attempting to sleep, and keep you up throughout the night."
To prevent acid reflux from keeping you up, it is recommended to eat at least three hours before bed.
It confuses brain signals between sleep and eating
Eating in bed also disrupts your body’s natural cues for sleep.
Your brain needs to recognise the bedroom as a space for rest, not for eating or other stimulating activities. Mixing these activities can confuse your brain, making it harder to relax and fall asleep.
To maintain a strong mental association between your bed and sleep, Dr Lee suggests avoiding eating in bed altogether.
"Instead, if you must eat late, enjoy your meal in a different area and then transition to your bedroom, where you can set a calming atmosphere with cosy lighting and comfortable bedding," she says.
By keeping your bedroom a dedicated space for sleep, you create a stronger, more consistent signal that it’s time for rest, helping your body wind down more effectively.
It's messy
It isn’t just nice to go to sleep in a bedroom that’s free from clutter and crumbs, research suggests a clean sleep environment actually can lead to better sleep.
It can cause you to overeat
Though there are many reasons why you might need to eat in bed, sickness or living with a chronic condition for example, experts advise avoiding the practice if you can possibly help it. That's because you're more prone to distractions.
And when you’re distracted, you tend to overeat.
“In terms of being mindfully aware of what you’re eating and enjoying the food, eating in bed is problematic,” Dr Michael Brustein told Food & Wine.
“If you’re doing it in bed, you’re probably doing other things, like watching TV on your laptop or reading, and this could cause you to overeat. Before you know it, you finished a bag of chips or ate two bagels and didn’t even realise it.”
Read more about sleep
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