Doctor shares ideal gap to leave between dinner and bedtime for ‘lower levels overnight’
Though generally stable in healthy individuals, keeping an eye on the behaviour of blood sugar levels can reveal a great deal about health.
Maintaining stable blood sugar levels overnight is important because large fluctuations can negatively impact sleep.
The science director at the medical testing company Selph, Dr Alasdair Scott advised leaving two to three hours between the final meal of the day and bedtime to maintain healthy levels overnight.
He explained that the gap leads to lower fasting blood sugar overnight compared to eating closer to bedtime.
Eating close to bed time can cause blood sugar fluctuations
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Furthermore, the timing consideration is particularly crucial as many people tend to consume larger meals later in the day.
Dr Scott told GB News: “If you eat closer to bedtime, having your bigger meals closer to the beginning of the day could be a good idea.
“Your ability to handle carbohydrate loads is better in the morning than it is in the evening. And going for a walk after dinner.”
Despite offering a biological advantage, Dr Scott acknowledged the practical challenges people face when adjusting meal schedules.
He noted that society “just kind of works in a way where we tend to have bigger meals later in the day”.
For those concerned about evening blood sugar levels, Dr Scott recommends going for a post-dinner walk.
“Going for a walk after dinner uses your muscles. Your muscles then pull in the glucose, and that will tend to lead to more stable or flat blood sugar levels overnight,” he explained.
Blood sugar control is crucial for optimal health GETTY
For healthy individuals, higher rather low blood sugar tends to be the main concern – particularly when combining large evening meals with inactivity.
The significant impact of night-time eating was highlighted in a 2021 study on shift workers.
The research, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that consuming meals during night-time hours can lead to glucose intolerance.
The findings, published in Science Advances, demonstrated that restricting meals to daytime hours can help regulate blood glucose, highlighting the importance of aligning eating patterns with the body’s daily cycles.