Is eating late bad for you? It depends when you go to bed.

You leave the office at seven, the train is late and dinner is at nine. You've heard for years that eating late is bad for you, but the timetable isn't yours. Hungry since lunch, you have pasta, cheese and wine.

By half ten you're in bed on a full stomach. I hear this a lot from the people I work with, who ate late and struggled to drop off. Skipping dinner rarely lasts, and it's seldom the answer.

Signs dinner is costing you sleep

• You're tired but can't drop off. Your stomach is still at work.
• You notice your pulse. In the dark, your heart is faster than usual.
• You sleep lightly. On and off, for no clear reason.
• You wake up sluggish. Often with no appetite for breakfast.

Is eating late bad for you?

Not in itself. Going to bed mid-digestion can disturb your sleep, and that depends on how long you leave it and what you ate.

Digestion slows as the evening goes on. From early evening your liver and gut cope less well with fat and sugar, and the later it gets, the more slowly digestion tends to work.

The plate decides how long it takes. A fatty meal can sit in your stomach for up to six hours, a light one about an hour. After a takeaway at nine, your stomach may well still be full at half ten.

Digesting keeps the engine running. To fall asleep, your body has to slow down. A heavy dinner can keep your heart rate up at exactly that time, so sleep may come late and stay light.

Does eating late make you put on weight? In one comparison of dieters, dinner time made no difference. Lunch time did. Weight creeps up more easily when dinner is also the day's first proper meal. You turn up ravenous and struggle to stop.

What to eat late at night, and how long to wait

Three hours between dinner and bed. Last mouthful at least three hours before you sleep. Eat at nine, turn in at half ten, and you won't make it. Staying up to wait costs you sleep, so work on the plate.

A proper lunch, and a snack at five. At lunch, vegetables, protein and carbs. Around five, something filling, such as plain yoghurt or fruit with a few almonds. Your hunger hormone keeps rising while your stomach stays empty. By nine you're no hungrier than usual, and a small plate is enough.

At nine, a small, light plate. Grilled fish or chicken, vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil leave your stomach far sooner than a steak. Save fried food and cured meats for another day. Carbs have their own article.

Eat slowly, then walk. Feeling full takes about twenty minutes from the first mouthful, and in a rush you sail past it. Then ten to fifteen minutes at an easy pace. Working muscles use up the sugar that's just arrived. For the rest, see the article on waking at 3am. One glass at most, bedroom between 18 and 20 degrees.

You rarely choose when you leave the office. Lunch and the size of your plate are yours. Start with whichever is easier.