The best time for dinner is around 6 PM, and avoid sleeping within four hours after your meal.
It is widely known that taking calcium before bed is effective, such as drinking a glass of milk before sleep, which both promotes sleep and replenishes calcium. Many people also know that dried shrimp is very rich in calcium. Consequently, some believe that eating dried shrimp before bed for calcium supplementation is more effective than milk. This view is completely wrong. Not only does it fail to achieve the goal of calcium supplementation, but it also increases the risk of developing urinary tract stones.
Dried shrimp is nutritious, with a high calcium content of up to 991 mg/100g (the recommended daily calcium intake for adults is 800 mg), earning it the reputation of a "calcium warehouse." Dried shrimp also has effects like stimulating appetite and resolving phlegm. However, it should be noted precisely because of its high calcium content, it should not be eaten at night to avoid causing urinary tract stones. The main component of kidney stones is calcium. While some of the calcium from food is absorbed and utilized by the intestinal wall, the excess is excreted through urine. The peak time for calcium excretion in the body is generally 4 to 5 hours after a meal. If dinner is too high in calcium, or if the dinner time is too late, or if one eats dried shrimp before bed, when the peak calcium excretion arrives, people are already in bed. The urine will then be completely retained in the urinary tract and cannot be expelled in a timely manner. This causes the calcium concentration in the urine to continuously increase and deposit, which can easily lead to the formation of kidney stones over time. Matsushita Hospital in Japan once surveyed 270 kidney stone patients, and 97 of them mostly had dinner after 9 PM, while 25 had the habit of going to bed right after a late-night snack. [China Food]
Therefore, calcium supplementation at night should not be too late or in excessive amounts. When choosing calcium-rich foods, try to select those that are easy to digest and absorb. Drinking a glass of milk 1 to 2 hours before bed is an excellent choice.
Additionally, research has shown that eating a lighter dinner leads to better sleep. A proper dinner should be about 80% full, to the point where you don't feel hungry. The best time for dinner is around 6 PM, and it should not be later than 9 PM. It is best not to eat any solid food after 9 PM. Furthermore, do not go to bed within four hours after dinner to allow the food to be fully digested.