Eating dinner late? Your metabolism, sleep, and heart might not like it! Find out why early meals are a game-changer for your health.
- Eating late can disrupt sleep, leading to poor digestion and even vivid nightmares
- Late-night meals slow metabolism, increasing the risk of weight gain and heart disease
- The ideal dinner time is between 6-8 PM for better digestion and long-term health
How Late Dinners Affect Health
Sleep disturbance
The quality of sleep can be greatly impacted by eating late at night. Research indicates that those who eat later typically go to bed later, which can cause a disturbance in their sleep schedule (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Association of Meal Timing with Sleep Quality and Anxiety According to Chronotype: A Study of University Students
Go to source). Additionally, eating late at night can upset your stomach, which can lead to vivid or even strange nightmares.
Your body burns 10% more calories in the morning than at night! Eating earlier helps your metabolism work at its best. #healthyhabits #dinner #medindia’





Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: food and diet as instigators of bizarre and disturbing dreams
Go to source). The inability of the body to properly digest food while at rest may be the cause of this. Furthermore, "Eating later can promote a negative profile of weight, energy, and hormone markers, such as higher glucose and insulin, which are implicated in diabetes, and cholesterol and triglycerides, which are linked to cardiovascular problems and other health conditions," says Namni Goel, Research Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
Higher Chance of Putting on Weight
Eating dinner early helps with weight management and digestion. Dr. Rupali Dutta, a nutritionist, emphasizes the importance of meal time in managing weight, "Eating dinner early promotes better digestion, and anything that promotes better digestion promotes weight loss." The movement of the sun is wired into the organism. Food is more likely to stay in the intestines and impair digestion the later we eat. Your body uses the food more effectively and you feel fuller sooner if you eat dinner early. Calories that are not used are stored as fat.
Late-night meals are more likely to be turned into fat because metabolism slows down in the evening, which over time might result in unintended weight gain.
Bloating and Poor Digestion
Eating late at night frequently results in a lesser time gap between dinner and bedtime, which leaves little time for adequate digestion. This may result in indigestion, bloating, and acid reflux. When meals are properly spaced out, the body can break down food more effectively and perform at its best.
Increased Risk of High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
Meal timing is very important for heart health. Late-night meals can be especially detrimental for people with diabetes, thyroid issues, PCOD, and cardiovascular problems, according to nutritionist Meher Rajput. She clarifies, "As Indians, we are accustomed to having dinners that are high in sodium. Our meals frequently contain substantial amounts of salt, from meat and veggies to dal and papad. In addition to causing bloating and water retention, eating salty meals late at night raises the risk of high blood pressure."

What is the Best Time for Dinner?
According to health experts, the optimal time for dinner is between 6 and 8 p.m., as this allows the body enough time to process meals before going to bed. This lowers the chance of long-term health issues, enhances digestion, and maintains improved metabolic health.References:
- Association of Meal Timing with Sleep Quality and Anxiety According to Chronotype: A Study of University Students - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38534799/)
- Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: food and diet as instigators of bizarre and disturbing dreams - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25741294/)
Source-Medindia