Do this 3 hours before bed for better blood pressure and blood sugar

I tend to be a bit of a night owl. My usual bedtime is sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight, though I do force myself to go to bed closer to 10 p.m. if I have to be up early the next day.

I’ve noticed something about the late hours I keep. Around 9:30 or 10 p.m., I suddenly have a craving for a snack. And I’m not proud to admit that, more often than not, I indulge it.

But if recent research is anything to go by, I really need to put the brakes on this bad habit — for the sake of my heart…

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The timing of eating and sleeping is key

Based on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 score, only 1 in 5 Americans has optimal heart health. Poor cardiometabolic health also raises the risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

In recent years, it’s been suggested that time-restricted eating may improve cardiometabolic health. Studies suggest that restricting meals to a set window of time each day can improve certain markers and, in some cases, match the benefits of traditional calorie-restricted diets. However, most research has focused on how long people fast rather than when they fast.

Since circadian rhythm plays a central role in regulating cardiovascular and metabolic function, a team of researchers at Northwestern University decided to explore whether timing an overnight fast to match a person’s natural sleep-wake cycle could improve heart and metabolic health.

The study included 39 overweight/obese adults aged 36 to 75, split into 2 groups: A control group that maintained their usual eating habits, which equated to a habitual overnight fasting window of 11 to 13 hours, and a 2^nd group that stopped eating three hours before their usual bedtime, resulting in 13 to 16 hours of fasting overnight.

Importantly, neither group reduced their calorie intake. In addition, both groups dimmed the lights three hours before bedtime.

After 7.5 weeks, those who stopped eating 3 hours before their bedtime experienced several meaningful changes…

• Their nighttime blood pressure decreased by 3.5%, and their heart rate dropped by 5%. These shifts reflect a healthier daily pattern; a stronger day-night rhythm is linked with better cardiovascular health.
• These participants also showed improved daytime blood sugar control. When they were given glucose, their pancreas responded more effectively, indicating improved insulin release and more stable blood sugar levels.

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Tips to stop nighttime snacking

“Timing our fasting window to work with the body’s natural wake-sleep rhythms can improve the coordination between the heart, metabolism and sleep, all of which work together to protect cardiovascular health,” says first author Dr. Daniela Grimaldi of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“It’s not only how much and what you eat, but also when you eat relative to sleep that is important for the physiological benefits of time-restricted eating,” says corresponding author Dr. Phyllis Zee, also with Feinberg.

There was nearly 90% adherence in the study, leading researchers to believe anchoring time-restricted eating to the sleep period may be a realistic and accessible non-pharmacological approach to supporting heart health. This is especially true for middle-aged and older adults who face higher cardiometabolic risk.

The researchers plan to refine the protocol and expand testing to larger multi-center trials.

I shared not long ago that night owls have an 80% higher risk of heart trouble. Personally, I don’t need further research to know I should give up my late-night snacking habit and stop eating at 8 p.m.

If you’re like me and you like a late-night nibble, here are some tips to make it easier to say no:

• Eat enough during the day — Make sure you get the majority of your calories in the earlier hours of the day, when you’re most active (and hungry). Keep in mind the saying “king at breakfast, pauper at dinner,” which means you should start your day with a large breakfast and end with a modest dinner.
• Watch out for triggers — If you find yourself mindlessly snacking while doing things like watching TV or scrolling through social media, you should avoid those activities after 8 p.m. Some triggers, like stress, can be harder to avoid. Try replacing them with healthier stress-relieving habits like yoga, meditation, a hot bath or a good book.
• Make sure you’re getting enough fiber — Fiber helps you feel full and satisfied, and it’s great for your digestive health, too. Experts recommend consuming 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day, which means you should be eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes and nuts and seeds.

Sources:

Sleep‑aligned fasting improves key heart and blood‑sugar markers — Northwestern Now

Stop eating 3 hours before bed to improve heart health — ScienceDaily

Sleep-Aligned Extended Overnight Fasting Improves Nighttime and Daytime Cardiometabolic Function — Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology

Heart Disease Facts — U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Only 1 in 5 people in the U.S. has optimal heart health — American Heart Association

Does Fiber Help with Weight Loss? 15 Fiber-Rich Foods, According to a Dietitian — UnityPoint Health