AppetiteOct 6, 2012

How eating carbs, fats, and proteins in the evening relates to daily calories and body weight

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 28, 2026

Abstract

Fifty-two volunteers recorded their sleep and food intake over 7 days, revealing that late sleepers consumed more macronutrients in the evening.

Late sleepers ate greater amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates after 8:00 pm compared to average sleepers.
Less fat was consumed within the 4 hours leading up to sleep by late sleepers.
Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake after 8:00 pm and protein intake within 4 hours of sleep.
Total calorie intake is linked to the amount of protein and carbohydrates consumed within 4 hours of sleep and the percentage of macronutrients consumed after 8:00 pm.
Evening macronutrient intake and pre-sleep intake may influence weight gain through increased total caloric consumption.

Simplified

The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sleep timing and macronutrient intake as an approach towards better understanding of how sleep and eating affect weight regulation. Fifty-two volunteers (25 women) completed 7 days of wrist actigraphy and food logs. "Average sleepers" (56%) were defined as having a midpoint of sleep <5:30 am and "late sleepers" (44%) were defined as having a midpoint of sleep ≥ 5:30 am. Data were analyzed using t-tests, correlations and regression. Late sleepers consumed a greater amount of protein fat and carbohydrates in the evening (defined as after 8:00 pm) but less fat in the 4 h before sleep. Total protein, protein, carbohydrate, and fat consumed after 8:00 pm, protein consumed within 4h of sleep as well as the percentage of fat consumed after 8:00 were associated with higher BMI. The amount of protein and carbohydrates consumed within 4h of sleep and the amount and percentage of carbohydrate and fat consumed after 8:00 pm were associated with greater total calories. In multivariate analyses controlling for age, gender, sleep timing and duration, protein consumed 4 h before sleep was associated with BMI; carbohydrates consumed after 8 pm, protein and carbohydrates consumed 4h before sleep were associated with higher total calories. Results indicate that evening intake of macronutrients and intake before sleep are not synonymous, particularly among late sleepers. Eating in the evening or before sleep may predispose individuals to weight gain through higher total calories.

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How eating carbs, fats, and proteins in the evening relates to daily calories and body weight

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