Dr Megan Rossi, aka The Gut Doctor, tells Strong Women that overeating at dinner simply means that “you’ve got a lot more food to get through and your digestive system will get through it all, it just puts it under that little bit more stress”.

By ‘overeating’, we simply mean eating past the point of comfort. We do it all the time – our eyes can be bigger than our stomachs. We can overeat on brussels sprouts and broccoli just as much as we can with sweet or fast foods.

While late eating has been up for debate for some time, there are plenty of studies that confirm having a good dinner is important. Research suggests that our nighttime basal metabolic rate is actually almost as high as it is during the day, as our bodies need energy during sleep. We also know that some people can experience low blood sugar during the night, which can lead to disturbed sleep (particularly those who live with type I diabetes).

And of course, having a larger meal or a structured pre-bed snack can stop us from grazing, which leads to continuous blood sugar highs and dips (which we don’t want before trying to sleep).

Keep getting ‘food babies’ after dinner? Here’s what that’s doing to your gut health (and how to avoid it)