Researchers from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine discovered, a night time snack might seem like a harmless treat, but can raise the risk of breast cancer and diabetes. It is the first study to show that nocturnal eating should be avoided to allow the body’s metabolism to work in alignment with natural sleep-wake cycles.

Eating regular meals at set times and then waiting longer between dinner and breakfast appears to regulate blood sugar and lower risk of illness. "Increasing the duration of overnight fasting could be a novel strategy to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer,” said lead author Catherine Marinac.

Previous studies have shown that women who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a 23 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer. Night shift workers have an increased risk of breast cancer and the study suggests it could be a result of deregulated eating patterns More than 2,000 women took part in the study and were asked to record their eating and sleeping patterns between 2009 and 2010.

Those who reported longer fast durations at night also indicated they consumed fewer calories per day, ate fewer calories after 10 pm and had fewer eating episodes.

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