SNACKING in bed could have harmful effects on your health, according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 people, by bed company Time4Sleep, revealed more than half enjoy eating in bed – and one in ten eat their lunch and dinner between the sheets.

However, despite the majority of adults admitting to eating in bed, more than half of respondents think snacking in the sack is unhygienic.

As well as leaving crumbs in the bed, there are potentially gruesome health implications according to medical nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.

Jonathan Warren, director of Time4sleep.co.uk, said: "Dr Sarah’s insight on the effects snacking in bed can have on our health has left us feeling queasy and thinking twice before we next bring food up to the bedroom.

"For those that do tend to snack in bed, we recommend washing your bedding and hoovering your mattress regularly to avoid a build-up of bacteria."

Five reasons why snacking in bed is bad for you health

1. It can leave you feeling more tired

Snacking in bed creates debris on the sheets which can physically disturb your sleep, causing you to toss and turn, and experience ‘micro wakes’ so you wake up feeling unrefreshed.

2. It can encourage bacteria to grow

Consuming food in bed can create an unhealthy microclimate of germs and moulds among your sheets, as well as causing unattractive smells, and attracting insects (flies, ants and in extreme cases cockroaches).

3. It can make you grind your teeth

Snacking in bed at night can aggravate any tendency towards grinding your teeth during your sleep. As well as damaging your teeth, this can cause you to wake with tight, painful jaw muscles, earache and a dull headache.

4. It leads to smelly breath

Eating at night can lead to smelly breath and tooth decay if you don’t clean your teeth before settling down to sleep. A full stomach also promotes acid reflux and indigestion. If acid comes up into your mouth this can further erode your teeth and contribute to smelly breath.

5. It can make you gain weight

People who regularly snack in bed are likely to consume unnecessary calories that promote weight gain. Several studies have found that people who eat around bedtime are more likely to have a higher BMI as they are eating more calories overall. This is especially true if your sleep is restricted through late bedtimes.

For more information visit time4sleep.co.uk/blog/give-your-bed-a-spring-boost/