Adjusting dinner time according to the body's natural biological rhythm can bring many obvious benefits to health. Dinner should be completed at least 2-3 hours before bedtime so that the digestive system has enough time to process food, helping the body rest better.
Eating dinner early helps reduce the risk of acid reflux and heartburn. When the body is in a vertical position, gravity holds acid in the stomach.
Conversely, lying down immediately after eating makes acid and food easily reflux to the esophagus, causing discomfort and increasing the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Sleep breaks allow the stomach to empty, thereby limiting nighttime reflux and improving sleep quality.
Not only that, digesting a sumptuous meal close to bedtime also causes the body to increase in temperature due to heat generation, while deep sleep requires lower body temperature. Post-eating blood sugar fluctuations can also disrupt sleep. Therefore, eating dinner early helps sleep become more stable and deeper.
In addition, this habit is also suitable for the circadian rhythm to help regulate hormones, metabolism and the sleep-wake cycle. During the day, the body is ready for digestion, but in the evening, the metabolism process slows down. Eating early helps the digestive system function in sync, avoiding putting pressure on the body when it has entered a resting state.
