Circadian rhythm— aka your body’s internal clock thatgoverns your sleepand wake schedules — is an integral factor inoverall healthand well-being, playing a role in everything fromwhen you’re most primed to exerciseto when you go to sleep and more. In 2017, researchers studying the topic evenwon a Nobel Prizefor their work.
What’s more, circadian rhythm is intimately tied to diet and weight loss.When we eatandwhat we eathelps the body understand what time it is, impacts physiology,emotional healthand more.
Since humans are normally awake during the day and asleep at night, it makes sense that eating during the day is the best bet. (If you normally eat dinner at 7 p.m. and go to bed at 10 p.m. and suddenly were asked to wake up at 3 a.m. for food, your body would likely feel out of whack.) But everybody (and their circadian rhythm) is slightly different, which meansnighttime feeders aren’t necessarily doomed.
Here, experts take sides on how much an impact eating in conjunction with your circadian rhythm has on your health — and what to do if you tend to eat a little later than most.