Why You Should Never Eat Pizza Before Bed

As delicious as pizza may be, it can be a recipe for disaster if you pick up a slice before bed. According to HuffPost, indulging in a piece of pizza before bedtime can lead to acid reflux. Jonathan Aviv, M.D., says acid reflux is what happens when your stomach's contents go up toward your esophagus and throat. This is especially true when you eat foods with high acidity, like pizza. 

Aviv continued, describing how digestion plays a big part in acid reflux. He says if your food doesn't digest properly, your stomach acid, food, and drink will not stay in the same place. So now, once you've chowed down on your pizza before bedtime, it's easier for it to come back up. Aviv warns it can even reach your lungs and vocal cords. What many people don't realize is, in order for your stomach to empty out, it takes about three to four hours. A simple solution to avoiding this is sitting or standing directly after eating, so the pizza in your stomach stays in your stomach. 

Eating pizza before bed can be stressful on your digestive system if you are somewhat or highly intolerant to lactose. MedlinePlus reports about 65 percent of people around the world have trouble digesting lactose after infancy. Erin Palinkski-Wade, RD, CDE, also warns of acid reflux occurring if you eat pizza before bed (via Eat This, Not That!). She says when you combine the fat in the cheese with the acid in the tomato sauce, you're looking at a negative effect waiting to happen to your body, like disruptive sleep. 

So, while the cheese on your pizza may be enjoyable in the moment, it's possible you'll be up in the middle of the night with gas, diarrhea, bloating, or a stomachache. Not only will you get better sleep, but you aren't putting unnecessary calories in your body, Dr. Ronald Caplan tells Health Digest. He says pizza is like a "double whammy" because it's not only high in fat and carbs, but you may find yourself up in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. You can still enjoy pizza for dinner, but it's best to wait a few hours before heading to bed so you can allow your food to digest.