Bedtime snacks are a controversial topic. Here’s what experts have to say on the matter.

It seems there is always trouble about being in bed, sleeping, oversleeping, intimacy issues and food in bed. Another big issue are screens. As the evening winds down, it can be tempting to reach for something as you stream, read, or roam around your place. Iturns out 93% of adults have an after-dinner snack at least once a week. But is a bedtime snack a bad idea?

Although experts do not recommend large meals before bedtime, a light snack can have several benefits. Key word being something small.  A snack before bed could help prevent prevent low blood sugar. Certain snacks before bedtime can provide sleep benefits such as falling asleep faster.  If you take insulin or other diabetes medications, you may sometimes need to snack before bedtime to treat or prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during the night.

But, late-night snacks can add extra calories, which can lead to weight gain.

A key factor in determining weight gain is regular habits. While in theory, eating before bed shouldn’t cause weight gain, it’s a habit encouraging other bad habits. These snacks usually don’t count as a meal, meaning that they’re extra calories. They’re also occurring at the time of the day when people are the hungriest, meaning snacking can quickly transform into eating enough calories to throw off your daily caloric intake. The most popular night snacks among survey respondents were chips, crackers, and pretzels, with 53.1% choosing those foods as a go-to. They were No. 1 among men and women. Sugary snacks are also favored, with 43.4% choosing ice cream, 42.8% having cake or cookies, and 37.7% grabbing candy.  Healthier options include sugar-free frozen pop, one light cheese stick, a tablespoon of peanut butter (15 grams) with celery, a hard-boiled egg, rice baby carrots or 3/4 cup light popcorn.

A key point is a snack and not a big feast. Experts generally recommend waiting at least a half hour after drinking fluids and at least 2–3 hours after having a full meal before lying down to go to sleep. This will help avoid indigestion to weight gain and even possible circadian rhythm disruptions.

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Some research says for people who get very hungry at night, one snack after dinner could help them control urges for eating more. With the majority of people doing it at least once a week, it isn’t should you but what do you have? This help determine your sleep and you waist line the following days.