Does Eating Dinner Earlier Actually Improve Your Sleep?

A new TikTok trend is touting that eating dinner earlier can improve the quality of sleep that you get each night. But what does the science say about this approach? Read on for all of the details about the trend and if it has any merit, as well as other tips for maximizing your sleep.

How Eating Dinner Earlier Improves Sleep Quality

TikTok influencers are claiming that eating the last meal of the day earlier can boost your sleep quality. Known as the "early bird dinner" trend, the followers advise eating dinner at about 5 pm, or roughly four to five hours before going to bed.

According to some health care providers, this TikTok trend is actually rooted in basic human biology. Followers of the trend claim that eating earlier maximizes deep sleep by reducing the natural midnight cortisol spike that may disrupt sleep patterns. Eating earlier also can mitigate morning acid reflux that may wake you from a slumber. In addition, eating earlier may reduce digestion issues when you are trying to sleep.

People who tend to eat later also may need to go to the bathroom more often in the middle of the night, disrupting the body's natural sleep patterns. This is particularly true if dinner involves a caffeinated or alcoholic beverage.

Diving deeper into the benefits of eating earlier, a 2021 study noted in the National Institutes of Health demonstrated that enjoying dinner at 6 pm as opposed to 9 pm improved blood glucose levels. This timing also improved substrate oxidation, the process of burning carbohydrates and fats to provide energy for the body.

Similarly, a 2023 review published by the National Institutes of Health found that going to bed soon after finishing dinner can create a spike in blood sugar levels. This increase can be blamed on the disruption that happens going from daytime feeding to nocturnal fasting. Scheduling the last meal of the day at an earlier time may help to mitigate this rise in blood sugar that prevents you from falling asleep quickly.

A different 2023 study found that eating dinner earlier is also beneficial for heart health. The researchers from the NutriNet-Santé study found that individuals who ate their last meal of the day after 9 pm saw a 28% higher risk of cerebrovascular disease when compared with people who ate just an hour earlier.

This study also noted that delaying dinner was correlated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. This is because people who eat dinner later are also more likely to skip breakfast in the morning, increasing the risk of developing heart issues.

Eating the last meal of the day five hours before going to bed is safe for most people. However, individuals with some health conditions should consult with their healthcare provider before making this switch. For example, those with diabetes may not be able to safely go this long without eating.

Other Proven Methods to Improve Sleep Quality

Although there is little downside to the early bird dinner trend, there are certainly more proven ways to improve the quality of your sleep. The most effective way to boost sleep quality is to maintain a consistent schedule. Those with erratic sleep patterns are inherently more likely to experience more difficulties falling and staying asleep. A good goal is to aim to get to sleep and to wake up within the same hour every day.

Your sleeping environment is also important. Creating a dark and cool room is a good strategy. Lean on blackout shades or an eye mask during the summer when the days are longer.

Sleep experts also advise avoiding the use of electronic devices for at least 30 minutes before trying to fall asleep. A book is a better choice than a phone when trying to calm the mind. The blue light that emanates from phones, televisions, and computers has been shown to disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythms.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends a regular exercise routine for overall sleep health. However, intense exercise in the evening hours could make the problem worse and make it more difficult to fall asleep.

When it comes to sleep, what you eat may be more important than when you eat. The CDC recommends eating a balanced diet for optimal sleep function. It is especially important to avoid eating greasy and sugary foods in the hours before bedtime. Focus on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

The takeaway is that while the early bird dinner sleeping trend certainly has some merit, it should be just a small part of an overall strategy to catch those zzz's.

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