Experts recommend eating dinner between 5 pm and 7 pm. However, if that doesn't align perfectly with your schedule, researchers said the meal should not be eaten any later than three hours before going to sleep.

Eating dinner at least three hours before bedtime helps improve blood pressure and heart rate overnight and supports a healthy day-night heart rhythm, all markers of better cardiovascular health.

A healthy heart, in turn, helps keep the brain sharp by ensuring steady blood flow and reducing the risk of stroke.

‘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,’ said Dr Phyllis Zee, senior study author and sleep medicine expert at Northwestern University.

The three-hour rule is simple: stop eating at least three hours before turning out the lights. That means dinner time can vary based on bedtime.