That's actually a myth and a very common one too. It basically takes 24 hours for food to go to fat reserves. Besides, the body uses plenty energy while sleeping. If you are a sedentiary person then the difference between waking and sleeping hours are minimal, except that the brain uses more energy while asleep. If you are someone who does high intensity cardio or strength training your rested metabolic rate will be very high while sleeping anyway.
Just to reiterate, meal timing is irrelevant. It comes down to what suits the individual.