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I sleep<\/a> pretty badly, at least according to my Oura ring<\/a> and dark circles. I rarely get to bed before 2 a.m., wake up throughout the night, and, as a passionate early riser, can\u2019t sleep past 7 a.m. It\u2019s funny, I\u2019m borderline fanatical about the rest of my health and wellness regimen<\/a>, but sleep is where it all falls apart.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not that I haven\u2019t tried to tackle the issue, either. I optimized my evening routine<\/a>, banned my phone from the bedroom, did breathing exercises, and even tested sleep supplements<\/a>. Then, in December, I thought, What if my very late dinnertime is actually the problem?<\/em><\/p>\n Although the body can digest food at any time of day\u2013including late in the evening\u2013studies<\/a> suggest eating your last meal earlier, ideally between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., could be beneficial as it\u2019s linked to better blood sugar balance and metabolic health<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, eating dinner by 6 p.m. isn\u2019t feasible for everyone, but experts generally suggest a gap of at least three hours between your last meal and bedtime.<\/p>\n To put it shortly, eating late at night isn\u2019t great for your body. Insulin sensitivity drops in the evening, so the body processes sugar less efficiently, and your blood sugar<\/a> remains elevated for longer. Because the body is preparing for rest, your metabolism and digestion<\/a> slow down, too. Eating a large meal and then lying down shortly afterward can put your body into active digestive mode when it\u2019s trying to rest. This can have an impact on falling (and staying) asleep<\/a>, as well as sleep quality. I later concluded that this was the root of my sleep issues.<\/p>\n Until recently, I usually ate my evening meal between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. With events, a busy work schedule<\/a>, and, if I\u2019m honest, some poor planning, my typical dinnertime was inching closer and closer to midnight. However, for the last month, I\u2019ve been eating dinner by 6 p.m.\u2013sometimes even earlier. Here are the changes I\u2019ve noticed since making the switch.<\/p>\n My sleep schedule improved<\/p>\n This was the earliest sign that things were changing. It was a Sunday, and I met up with friends for an early dinner at 5 p.m. By 6 p.m. I was full\u2013not overly so, just satisfied. In the evening, I looked at my watch for the last time at 11:04 p.m., and woke the next day at 6:29 a.m. My Oura ring showed a sleep quality<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Waking up is much easier now<\/p>\n Interestingly, I feel the biggest difference in the mornings. Now, I wake up easily<\/a> and press snooze far less frequently than before. I find I\u2019m generally more alert, too\u2013no longer dragging myself to the coffee machine like a zombie.<\/p>\n Clearer mornings<\/p>\n The other main difference is that I can focus much better in the morning, even before breakfast. Although there isn\u2019t any clear evidence linking an earlier dinner time to better cognitive performance, there are findings to show that sleep quality and circadian rhythms<\/a> can influence memory, attention, and energy levels the next day. Whether it\u2019s the early dinner or the better sleep that tends to follow, the change is welcome.<\/p>\n My bloating has gone down<\/p>\n Those late dinners would often sit in my stomach like a stone. I\u2019d go straight from the dinner table to bed and lie there with stomach pain. I realized that eating so late meant I was missing out on doing any movement afterward. Light activity after a meal<\/a> can aid digestion and curb the sharp rise in blood sugar, helping food pass through and get broken down more easily. My 6 p.m. dinner time gives me space to move around, either doing housework, stretching, or going for a walk before falling asleep.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhy is eating late not recommended?<\/h2>\n
How eating dinner by 6 p.m. worked for me<\/h2>\n