SLEEP

 I've been trying my damndest to get your motherf*ckers to stop eating hours before bed. A new study out confirms this is the right thing to do.

>3hr pre-bed:
• heart rate dropped by 5%
• diastolic blood pressure dropped 3.5%
• cortisol dropped
• heart rate variability increased
• improved blood glucose and insulin response

Study details:

39 overweight or obese participants (aged 36-72 years) investigated "sleep-friendly intermittent fasting" by comparing two protocols:

1. Habitual fasting: A daily fasting window of 11-13 hours, with participants free to eat anytime before bedtime.

2. Extended overnight fasting: A 13-16 hour fasting window, with the last meal consumed at least three hours before sleep.

Light was dimmed for both groups at least three hours before sleep.

The extended fasting paradigm also demonstrated a 90% adherence rate, suggesting its potential effectiveness for improving cardiometabolic health and sleep in overweight and obese populations.

While the three-hour pre-bed limit showed significant benefits in this trial, individuals who are already metabolically healthy may achieve further improvements and require a more stringent limit.

To find your optimal window, start by consuming your latest meal three or four hours before bedtime, and then work backward in one- or two-hour increments. Track key metrics such as sleep quality, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, next-morning recovery and focus, and metabolic health/glucose control (ideally using a Continuous Glucose Monitor).

For me, an eight-hour pre-bed fast works. My resting heart rate before bed has reached 38 bpm, placing it in the top 99.9th percentile.