I sleep pretty badly, at least if my Oura ring results and dark circles are anything to go by. I rarely get to sleep before 2am, wake frequently in the night and can’t lie in past 7am. It’s funny, I’m borderline fanatical about the rest of my health and wellness regimen, but sleep is where it all falls apart.
It’s not that I haven’t tried to tackle the issue. I optimised my evening routine, banned my phone from the bedroom, tried breathing exercises and tested all manner of sleep supplements. I did all of this very enthusiastically, until last December, when I was struck by a thought: What if my very late dinnertime is actually the problem?
The body can digest food at any time of day – including late in the evening. However, studies suggest that eating your last meal of the day earlier – ideally between 5pm and 7pm – can have profound benefits. Large observational studies show that eating later is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. An earlier dinner, on the other hand, extends the overnight fasting period, which is linked to better blood sugar balance and metabolic health.
Eating dinner by 6pm isn’t feasible for everyone, but experts generally suggest a gap of at least three hours between your last meal and bedtime.
Why it’s not great to eat late
Physiologically, eating late is not great. Insulin sensitivity drops in the evening, the body processes sugar less efficiently and blood sugar remains elevated for longer. Because the body is preparing for rest, your metabolism and digestion slow down, too.
Eating a large meal only to lie down shortly afterwards can put your body into active digest mode, and all when it’s trying to rest. This can have an impact on falling (and staying) asleep, as well as sleep quality. I came to the conclusion that this was the root of my own issue.
How eating dinner by 6pm worked for me
Up until recently, my evening meal tended to happen between 10pm and 11pm. What with events, a busy work schedule, and, if I’m honest, some poor planning, my typical dinnertime was inching closer and closer to midnight. But for the last month, I’ve been eating dinner by 6pm – sometimes even earlier. Here are the changes I’ve noticed since making the switch.
This was the earliest sign of something changing. It was a Sunday and I met up with friends for an early dinner at 5pm. By 6pm I was full – pleasantly so, just satisfied. In the evening, I looked at my watch for the last time at 11:04pm, and woke the next day at 6:29am. My Oura ring showed a sleep quality of 89 in the morning, significantly better than the previous night.
This pattern has persisted. Whenever I eat earlier, I fall asleep faster and sleep better.
Interestingly, I feel the biggest difference the morning after. Now, I wake up easily, and press snooze far less frequently than before. I find I’m generally more alert, too – no longer dragging myself to the coffee machine like a zombie.
The other main difference is in how much better my morning focus is. I’ve found that eating an earlier dinner has meant I can concentrate on my morning tasks until breakfast rolls around. While there isn’t any clear evidence linking an earlier dinner time to better cognitive performance, there are findings to show that sleep quality and circadian rhythms can influence memory, attention and energy levels the next day.
Whether it’s down to the early dinner itself, or the better sleep that tends to follow, the change is a welcome one.
Those late dinners would often sit like a stone in my stomach. I’d go straight from the dinner table to bed and lie there with stomach pain. I realised that eating so late meant I missed the chance to do any movement afterwards. Light activity after a meal can aid digestion and curb the sharp rise in blood sugar, helping food pass through and get broken down more easily. My 6pm dinner time gives me space to move around – either doing housework, stretching or going for a walk – before finally falling into bed later.
Walking is especially beneficial for improving digestion. Dr Heather Viola, a primary care physician at Mount Sinai Doctors-Ansonia, previously told that just a 10-minute walk around the block – around 15-minutes after eating, though whenever you feel the most comfortable – can also prevent spikes in blood sugar levels, promote deeper rest and help alleviate post-meal stomach discomfort.
And indoor walking counts, too. As darker nights draw in, you’d be forgiven for not wanting to head outside after dinner, but treadmills and convenient, foldable walking pads all help, or you could even try pacing up and down the stairs for a few minutes.
Because my custom was to eat very late at night, I would skimp on carbohydrates and protein, sticking to things like salads or soups. This meant my plate was bereft of energy and muscle-supporting foods. (This was largely out of concern about how “heavier” foods might affect my already terrible sleep.) Now, I eat larger, more balanced meals that incorporate more nutrient-dense foods.
I’m only human, and eating dinner every night by 6pm is not possible all the time. I like to go out to eat with friends or host them at my home, and if that means sacrificing one of my early meal times, so be it. For the most part, though, I do adhere to my new routine. If I get hungry later on in the evening, I slice myself a few pieces of apple and dip them in almond butter – the perfect blood-sugar friendly snack.