Model Miranda Kerr has sparked an online debate about the best time to eat dinner, as she reveals her four sons have theirs at 4:30pm every day. For busy, working parents, this early dinnertime is a lot simpler in theory, and is not flexible for many people’s lifestyles.
However, eating dinner earlier has many health benefits. Gabriel Ettenson, Chief Medical Officer at Hypervibe, says consuming the last substantial meal of the day before 6pm can improve digestion, enhance sleep quality, and potentially reduce cardiovascular risks.
Ettenson examined the science behind early evening meals and found compelling evidence supporting the practice.
It improves digestion and metabolism
Your digestive system operates more efficiently during daylight hours, so when we eat too close to bedtime, the body struggles to process food properly, leading to poor digestion and potential weight gain.
Allowing at least three hours between dinner and sleep gives the digestive system time to process food before the body enters its rest and recovery phase.
It helps you sleep better
Eating dinner early creates a meaningful gap between consumption and bedtime, which can significantly improve sleep quality. The body temperature naturally drops during sleep, but digestion raises it, creating a physiological conflict that disrupts rest patterns.
Experts also noted that poor sleep is linked to increased stress hormones, which can contribute to inflammation and various health issues over time.
It reduces your snacking
An early dinner helps regulate hunger hormones more effectively, so when dinner is consumed too late, people tend to overeat because they’re excessively hungry. This causes you to snack again before bed due to disrupted satiety signals.
According to Ettenson, this pattern of eating contributes to unnecessary calorie consumption and metabolic inefficiency.
It lowers your risk of acid reflux
Lying down with a full stomach increases the likelihood of acid reflux. By eating earlier, gravity helps keep stomach acid down where it belongs during the digestive process.
Eating late can also trigger extra acid production at a time when your digestive system is slowing down for rest, causing heartburn, coughing, or an unpleasant taste in your mouth during sleep.
Gabriel Ettenson, MSPT, Chief Medical Officer of Hypervibe, added: “Research from the American Heart Association on meal timing and frequency says that irregular eating habits may make it harder to maintain a healthy heart and metabolism.
“The report indicates that the timing of meals may influence various risk factors for heart disease, including obesity, lipid profile, and insulin resistance. The research suggests that eating earlier in the day is associated with a lower risk of obesity and improved metabolic health.
“What’s particularly interesting is that simply shifting your dinner earlier, without changing what you eat, can produce measurable health benefits. For those struggling to implement an earlier dinner time due to work schedules, I recommend a gradual approach. Even moving dinner 30 minutes earlier each week until you reach your target time can make a difference.
“Families with young children might find this schedule particularly beneficial, as it allows more time for evening activities and promotes better sleep routines for children.
“The beauty of this approach is its simplicity. Unlike complex diets, simply shifting dinner earlier requires minimal effort but potentially offers significant health rewards. Intentional eating with mindful attention to timing could lead to a healthier lifestyle and cardiometabolic risk management… so perhaps Miranda Kerr is onto something.”
