ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Health experts have recommended finishing dinner at least three hours before going to sleep.
They believe that this simple yet potentially powerful lifestyle habit may improve heart health and longevity.
Known as the “3‑hour dinner rule,” this practice aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythm, that ensures better digestion, metabolic regulation, and sleep quality.
Physicians fear that eating late at night can interfere with the body’s internal clock.
When the digestive process continues close to bedtime, it can lead to less efficient digestion, elevated blood sugar levels, disrupted fat metabolism, acid reflux, and poorer sleep — all of which are risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, including heart disease.
Late dinner
Researches from health institutions like the National Institutes of Health and publications in Frontiers in Physiology have linked late dinner and disturbed circadian rhythms with increased cardiometabolic risk.
If meals are completed earlier in the evening, then body has more time to process food, regulate blood sugar, and reduce strain on the heart.
It’s not only the meal timing that matters here; doctors also suggest practical habits to reinforce the benefits of the 3‑hour rule.
These include choosing lighter dinners, maintaining a balanced diet, and taking short walks after eating to aid digestion.
While timing alone won’t replace a nutritious diet or regular exercise, this adjustment could play a meaningful role in long-term health when coupled with other healthy lifestyle choices.
