The Best Time to Eat Dinner, According to Experts

What time do you usually eat dinner? If it’s 8 p.m. or later, you might want to reconsider. Research suggests that eating dinner earlier in the evening offers significant health benefits.

“As a dietitian who specializes in hormone health, I always recommend that my clients eat dinner on the earlier side,” says Melissa Groves Azzaro, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in Keene, New Hampshire. Ideally, you’ll finish your last meal of the day before 7 p.m. — or before the sun sets.

The reason comes down to your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates nearly every system in your body. Bodily functions like blood sugar regulation, healthy sleep, and digestion do better when aligned with the rhythm of the sun, Groves Azzaro says.

When you eat dinner may matter as much as what you eat. Here’s what research says about the downsides of dining late.

Late Eating Can Disrupt Sleep

Late dinners may interfere with sleep in a couple of ways: digestive discomfort and elevated blood sugar.

“Additionally, lying down flat too soon after dinner can increase symptoms of gastric reflux, which may be uncomfortable and prevent you from falling asleep easily,” adds Groves Azzaro. (Reflux occurs when stomach acid flows back up the esophagus.)

A late dinner can also mess with your sleep by elevating your blood sugar. “Eating dinner late means that your body is still working on digesting and absorbing the food you ate, which means that your blood sugar is still high by the time you go to bed,” Groves Azzaro says.

Eating Late May Cause Weight Gain

Late eating also interferes with hunger hormones. “Eating dinner late at night can increase ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and decrease leptin (the fullness hormone), resulting in decreased calorie expenditure and increased fat storage,” Groves Azzaro says.

Late Dinners May Increase Disease Risk

A late-night dinner habit might increase your risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease by disrupting your circadian rhythm.

Researchers speculate this may be because eating at consistent times that align with daylight hours helps support optimal blood pressure and metabolism. (Your metabolism helps regulate your heart rate.)

Groves Azzaro offers another approach: “Start eating when the sun comes up and stop eating when the sun goes down.” If you’re not able to do this during the winter months, check out the tips below.

It’s not always easy to get dinner on the table by 6 p.m. due to work schedules, commutes, and family commitments. But there are still steps to take to shift your calories earlier and potentially prevent chronic disease. Here’s what experts recommend.

• Don’t go too long without eating. Underdoing it on calories earlier in the day can make you ravenous by a late dinnertime, prompting you to overeat to refill your fuel tank. Groves Azzaro recommends eating nourishing foods at least every four to five hours.
• Prepare food in advance. Pre-chopping vegetables or precooking grains on the weekend can help you put together dinner faster during the week, says Groves Azzaro. Other possibilities: make a large batch of meat or a pot of beans for protein throughout the week.
• Eat a bigger breakfast and lunch so you can eat a lighter dinner. Shifting the majority of your calorie intake to breakfast and lunch means you won’t need as many calories at dinner, Groves Azzaro says. Try eating a bit more at these meals so you arrive at dinnertime with a smaller appetite.
• Focus on nutrient-dense foods all throughout the day. Even if you can’t eat early, you can still make healthy choices. Tindall recommends looking at the big picture of your entire diet, prioritizing nutrient-dense foods during the day to reduce chronic disease risk. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and dairy all make nutritious choices.

• Research and experts say an earlier dinner tends to be better for overall health.
• Aim to eat your last meal before 7 p.m., two to three hours before bed, or before the sun goes down.
• If you can’t eat dinner earlier, try eating more of your calories toward the beginning of the day.

Earlier versions of this article incorrectly stated Dr. Tindall recommended the optimal window for dinner is between 6 and 7 p.m. It should have read that she recommends eating dinner at least three hours before bedtime.