Is It Bad To Eat Watermelon At Night? Read Before Eating 

So, is it bad to eat watermelon at night? Watermelon is many people’s favorite fruit, given its nutritional composition and numerous health benefits. It’s also an excellent source of antioxidants.  

You can eat most fruits any time of the day. But in the case of watermelon, most people may have a contrary view. While some believe it is okay to eat watermelon at night, others think otherwise.

Here is what we know about consuming watermelon at night.

Is It Bad To Eat Watermelon At Night

You can eat watermelon at night, but consume a moderate amount. A serving or cup of watermelon is enough. In addition, don’t eat watermelon before bedtime. 

Consuming excess watermelon or more than two cups per day isn’t an ideal thing to do. Watermelon boasts 92 percent water content, making it a great snack to rehydrate. 

But we all know that having too much water before bedtime can negatively impact one’s sleep cycle and heart health. 

The same happens when you consume excess watermelon at night, especially close to bedtime. You’ll be well hydrated, but the problem is you’ll find yourself visiting the bathroom multiple times. 

This act alone can disrupt your sleep and lower the quality of your night’s rest. Again, if not properly controlled, watermelon can cause water-retention issues, leading to overhydration and swelling. 

A Handy Tip: In a nutshell, do not consume excess watermelon at night or close to bedtime. Watermelon is a great fruit, but its high water content makes consuming it before bedtime a terrible idea.  

What Happens When You Consume Watermelon At Night?

We have already explained the reasons to avoid consuming excess watermelon at night. Now, let’s discuss what can happen when you eat excess watermelon at night, especially close to bedtime. 

1: watermelon can cause stomach upset:

Watermelon is an acidic fruit, though it has a low pH level. Watermelon’s pH ranges from 5.18 – 5.60, so it’s a lower acidic fruit. Nevertheless, eating watermelon before bedtime is a terrible idea. It can lead to stomach upset or bowel irritation. 

Our digestive system is fast during the day and slower at night. That’s why people are always advised to consume light dinners. Watermelon’s acidity is lower, but consuming the fruit at night can lead to stomach upset. 

A Handy Tip: Watermelon can cause nausea, vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, gas, diarrhea, and bloating, especially in people that are fructose intolerant. 

2: Contains high sugar:

Another reason to avoid consuming excess watermelon, especially at night, is its high sugar content. Slow digestion means foods won’t be broken down faster, giving rise to obesity. 

Eating a lot of watermelon before bedtime isn’t advisable because of the high sugar content. The body is inactive when asleep, meaning the sugar won’t have any better use than contributing to weight gain and increasing blood sugar. 

Nobody wants to gain weight because of the dangers obesity poses. Weight gain or obesity can erode your hourglass shape. It can also make it impossible for you to fit into some, if not all your favorite clothes. 

A Handy Tip: Watermelon is high in FODMAP content, making it one of the fruits to avoid if you’re on a low FODMAP diet. 

Watermelon’s high FODMAP content is the reason the fruit causes nausea, diarrhea, bloating, indigestion, heartburn and even gas. FODMAP means fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols.

The FODMAP foods are short-chained carbs (sugars) poorly absorbed by the small intestine. After consuming such foods, most people may experience digestive distress, such as stomach cramps. 

Let’s go back to the issue of watermelon. Watermelon’s high FODMAP status makes it a terrible option for fructose-intolerant or older individuals. It can lead to digestive issues. 

In addition, note that eating too much fruit sugar can cause diabetes, tooth decay and weight gain. 

3: Can disrupt your sleep:

How can watermelon disrupt one’s sleep? Will the fruit cause you to stay awake all night? No. Drinking too much water before bedtime increases one’s visit to the bathroom. In other words, you’ll urinate multiple times throughout the night. 

As explained before, watermelon boasts 92% of water. So, it will help you stay well-hydrated, but get ready to urinate several times throughout the night. Consequently, your sleep would be disrupted, and you know the aftermath of poor-quality sleep.  

A Handy Tip: Poor sleep can lead to heightened stress response, anxiety, depression, and memory. It can impact one’s health and ability to focus on daily tasks. 

4: May increase blood sugar levels:

In addition to high FODMAP, watermelon boasts a high glycemic index (GI). Thus, your blood sugar levels may rise when you consume excess watermelon. And high blood sugar is something to be mindful of. It could be worse for individuals with diabetes. 

What is GI or glycemic index? It measures a specific food’s impact on blood sugar for a 2-hour period. While high-GI foods like watermelon can raise one’s blood sugar suddenly, low-GI foods raise blood sugar gradually.

Foods called low GI boast a GI level of under 55, while medium GI consists of foods whose GI value is from 56 to 69. High GI foods consist of foods whose GI level is over 70. Watermelon’s GI is 72.

Consuming a small amount of watermelon won’t raise your blood sugar levels. Check out the reason. 

GI considers how one’s blood sugar reacts to a specific carb-containing food, but there’s another measurement called GL, which considers the serving size. 

GL means glycemic load. And it offers a more accurate measurement of carb-containing foods’ impact on blood sugar. 

Glycemic load (GL) is classified into low, medium and high glycemic index (GI). Foods with less than 10 are low GL foods, while those with values ranging from 11 to 19 are medium GL foods. Over 20 is a high GL. 

Watermelon has a GL value of 5 – 6 per serving (152 grams). What does this imply? It means watermelon has low GL. Thus, you won’t experience a blood sugar spike when you consume a small cup of watermelon. 

Watermelon has a high GI, but you won’t experience a sugar spike if you consume a small portion. A blood sugar spike will only happen when you consume excess watermelon. 

Note that the sugar spike when you consume excess watermelon doesn’t only happen at night. It can happen during the day. 

What Is The Best Time To Eat Watermelon?

Nighttime is not a good time to consume watermelon. But this doesn’t mean you cannot eat watermelon at night. 

You can eat watermelon at night but only consume a small amount. Avoid consuming watermelon close to your bedtime. 

The best time to eat watermelon is during the day. You can consume the fruit as your breakfast or as a snack, in-between meals. 

A Handy Tip: Avoid consuming water for 30 to 40 minutes after consuming watermelon. The fruit already has a high amount of water, so you might end up drinking too much water. 

How Much Watermelon Is Safe To Consume

A serving (or a small cup) of 152 grams of watermelon is enough for the night. Moderate your watermelon consumption during the day. 

Watermelon is a nutritious and healthy fruit. In addition, nutritionists haven’t placed any specific limit on how much watermelon one should consume daily. 

Just moderate your watermelon consumption. Note that the fruit boasts high GI, but you won’t experience a sugar spike when consumed in moderation. And that’s because a serving of watermelon boasts low GL. 

Expect a 4-cup (608-gram) serving of the fruit to contain high GI, which can raise your blood sugar quickly. This amount of watermelon has approximately 46 carbs, with 36 of them coming from sugar. 

So be careful of the amount of watermelon you consume daily. Ensure it doesn’t reach levels that will cause a blood sugar spike. 

A Handy Tip: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that 2 cups of fruits daily is acceptable for people eager to play safe on sugar intake. 

This amount of fruit is ideal for individuals on a standard 2000 calorie, which translates to 300 grams, in the case of watermelon. A cup of watermelon is 152 grams. This recommendation is relevant for any fruit, not just watermelon alone.  

Keep this in mind too. Two cups of watermelon are enough for the day. And watermelon should be the only fruit you will consume that day. Why? You have already had enough sugar for that day. 

Conclusion

So, is it bad to eat watermelon at night? The answer is yes if you plan to consume more than a cup or serving of watermelon close to bedtime. Consuming plenty of watermelon before bedtime is a terrible mistake everyone should avoid. 

You may experience stomach pain or discomfort. Another thing consuming plenty of watermelon may cause is that it might disrupt your sleep. Watermelon boasts 92% water content, which can leave you well hydrated. But the problem is that you’ll be visiting the bathroom frequently. 

A cup or serving is enough watermelon for the night. In addition, don’t consume watermelon before bedtime. Watermelon is a high-GI food, meaning it can raise blood sugar drastically. However, consuming the fruit in moderate amounts (a maximum of 2 cups or serving per day) is a wise idea.