5 min readNew DelhiApr 15, 2026 09:00 PM IST
You must have heard that eating dinner early is better for digestion and overall health. But for those juggling long work hours, commutes and late evenings, an early dinner often feels unrealistic. But, is there truly an ideal time to eat dinner, or does consistency matter more than the clock? In a recent Instagram reel, US board-certified gastroenterologist Dr Palaniappan Manickam addressed this very question.
According to him, while an earlier dinner, around 6 pm, may be ideal from a biological standpoint, the more important factor is maintaining a consistent routine that aligns with the body’s internal timing system. Dr Manickam explained that the human body operates according to a biological timing mechanism. “There is a clock inside our body, it is called the circadian rhythm clock. It is a 24-hour clock which controls how you feel, how you crave, how you are motivated, pretty much everything.” This internal clock helps regulate several physiological processes and influences when different hormones become active.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
He further shared that this “master clock” sits in the front portion of the brain and is extremely small, roughly the size of a grain of rice split in half. Despite its tiny size, it plays a powerful role in regulating hormones throughout the body. As Dr Manickam put it, “Hormones go to sleep at a certain time and wake up at a certain time as per this clock.”
Different hormones function at different times of the day, depending on what the body needs. For example, digestive processes tend to be more active earlier in the day. “Our digestive hormones wake up at sunrise and die down at sunset, based on the (circadian) clock,” he said. On the other hand, the body’s repair mechanisms become active later at night. “Similarly, our repair hormones like growth hormones wake up when we sleep and peak in the middle of the night.”
These repair hormones play a key role in restoring the body after a day of activity, helping to repair the wear and tear on tissues and muscles. This process, too, follows the body’s internal timing system. Because of this connection between daily routines and hormone cycles, maintaining regular habits becomes important.
At the same time, Dr Manickam emphasised that not everyone needs to eat dinner extremely early. People can still maintain good health even if their dinner is later in the evening, provided it fits their lifestyle and sleep schedule. For instance, someone might have dinner at 9 pm and go to bed at 11:30 pm. What matters most is sticking to a predictable routine. As he summed it up, “Key thing is to be consistent.”
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Why do experts often recommend eating earlier in the evening?
Dr Adithya V. Naragund, senior consultant in GI & HPB Surgery at Cytecare Hospitals, Bengaluru, tells indianexpress.com, “Dinner timing is closely linked to the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates several physiological processes including digestion, metabolism and hormone secretion. When food is consumed close to bedtime, the stomach may still be actively digesting while the body is trying to transition into sleep. This can increase the risk of acid reflux, bloating and disturbed sleep. Eating dinner earlier in the evening allows the digestive system enough time to process food efficiently and aligns better with the body’s metabolic cycle.”
Healthiest way to structure dinner and sleep schedule
While an early dinner is ideal, Dr Naragund says, it is not always practical for many people with demanding work schedules or long commutes. In such situations, the focus should be on maintaining a gap of at least two to three hours between dinner and bedtime. This allows the stomach to complete a significant portion of digestion before the body lies down.
“It is also advisable to keep late dinners lighter and easier to digest. Meals that are high in fibre, moderate in protein and lower in heavy fats or deep-fried foods tend to be better tolerated at night. Large portions, spicy meals and excessive sugar close to bedtime can trigger reflux and disturb sleep. Maintaining a consistent routine, where dinner and sleep times remain similar each day, can also help the body adapt and support better digestive health,” states Dr Naragund.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
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