Final answer:
The last meal should be eaten 2 to 3 hours before bedtime to ensure proper digestion. This helps avoid sleep disturbances and supports the small intestine in processing food more efficiently. Eating frequent small meals and paying attention to fullness can also prevent overeating.
Step-by-step explanation:
The last meal should ideally be eaten 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. This time frame allows the stomach to empty its contents into the duodenum, facilitating smoother digestion and helping mitigate any potential discomfort or sleep disturbances that can occur if you go to bed soon after eating. Considering that different types of food digest at varying rates, with carbohydrates breaking down fastest and fatty foods taking the longest to exit the stomach, adhering to this 2 to 3-hour rule supports overall digestive health.
Eating frequent small meals throughout the day instead of two or three large meals can help prevent overeating. It's important to eat slowly and pay attention to your body's signals of fullness to avoid feeling 'stuffed'. When the last meal of the day is too close to bedtime, especially if it's high in triglycerides, it may take longer to digest and might negatively affect sleep quality. The small intestine works optimally when given enough time to process the foods ingested, which is why providing a sufficient gap between dinner and sleep is crucial for overall wellness.