Midnight Munchies: How Late-Night Snacking Harms Your Brain, Sleep, and Focus

• Late-night eating disrupts sleep, memory, and next-day brain performance, according to experts.
• Hunger hormones like ghrelin rise at night, while fatigue makes reward centers sensitive to sugary foods.
• Eating late sends mixed signals to the brain's internal clock, delaying melatonin production and disrupting sleep cycles.
• Reduced restorative sleep from late-night snacking leads to slower reaction time, poor concentration, and mental fog.
• Refined sugar, fried foods, and processed snacks are particularly disruptive, causing blood sugar spikes and slow digestion.