Choice of dinner time can be a cultural issue and throughout history it has also been a matter of class. In some parts of the world, it is customary to have an early dinner, while others look forward to a late dinner. Research shows that the choice of time can have an impact on your health.
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What do experts say?
There is a connection between dinner time and our sleep that perhaps not everyone knows about. Walter Longoresearcher and director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, says according to GQ that you should not eat right before going to bed. The recommendation is to have a window of three hours before bedtime. So if you usually go to bed at twelve o’clock, it is good to take the last bite no later than nine o’clock.
The reason why you shouldn’t eat right before going to bed is because it can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, says Longo. It will also affect your sleep. Longo explains that food has the same negative impact on sleep as too much exposure to bright light before bed.
– If you push your dinner to a later time, you are telling your body that you should continue to be active, says Longo.
Longo explains that it is important to give the body rest between meals. Fasting in the evening between the last and first meal the next day is preferable. This means that you do not eat anything between your dinner and breakfast. Fasting gives the body a chance to take care of the food from the day before and is good for metabolism, the body’s metabolism.
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Photo: Isabell Höjman/TTAdjust according to what makes you feel best
Arrangement of times and which meal is the most important can be discussed. Longo recommends keeping your meals within a twelve-hour window and is adamant about finishing dinner three hours before bedtime.
As for which meal is the most important, Longo says, is an individual matter. It depends on your lifestyle. You need to start from what works best for you. The most important thing is to be aware and make a change if you are not feeling well with your current eating habits.
– If you eat a bigger dinner, and sleep well, your cholesterol and blood pressure are good, then it’s good for you, says Longo and continues;
– But if you sleep poorly and have health problems, maybe you should switch to eating a bigger breakfast, a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner, which usually seems to be the healthiest pattern of all.
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