Take your last meal at least 4 hours before bedtime (or even as early as noon) in order to lower your heart rate below 40 bpm and avoid a 30% to 40% degradation in your sleep quality.

noli's read

Data from the NHANES observational study largely validate the link between eating a late last meal and lower recovery quality. A randomized clinical trial (RCT) from Northwestern University confirms that a 3-hour fast before bedtime effectively reduces nocturnal heart rate by 5%. Biologically, the consensus shows that digestion produces body heat and keeps the cardiac system active, which disrupts the natural transition to deep sleep. However, aiming for a heart rate below 40 bpm is a characteristic of highly trained athletes and proves disproportionate for the general population. Similarly, the 30% to 40% degradation in sleep quality is based on the creator’s personal observations using his own sensors rather than recognized clinical thresholds. Finally, stopping eating at noon is an extreme method with no evidence of superiority over the classic recommendation of a 3- to 4-hour fast before going to bed.

the sources

1. 1Garolla A, Torino M, Sartini B, et al. 2013
2. 2Gundersen TD, Jørgensen N, Andersson AM, et al. 2015
3. 3Blueprint Protocol (protocol.bryanjohnson.com, CC BY-NC)