The Wellness Rule No One Talks About But Everyone Should Try

There is no shortage of wellness advice out there. We are constantly told to eat clean, take cold showers, get 10,000 steps a day, and meditate before sunrise. But there is one rule I rarely see mentioned and yet it has made a noticeable difference to the women I work with.

It is simple, free, and fits easily into your life. And it might just be the missing piece in your health routine.

So what is it?

Stop eating by 8pm.

That is it. No complicated food restrictions. No fasting apps. Just closing the kitchen after dinner and letting your body rest.

Why this simple rule matters

As a registered nutritional therapist specialising in women’s health, I have seen how small shifts can create powerful ripple effects especially for women navigating hormonal changes, poor sleep, stress and stubborn weight gain.

Here is what happens when you stop eating late at night:

1. Your gut gets a break

Your digestive system is not designed to work around the clock. By finishing your last meal by 8pm, you allow your gut to focus on repair and regeneration rather than digestion. This supports your microbiome, reduces bloating, and encourages smoother digestion the next day.

2. Blood sugar stays more stable

Eating late at night, especially snacks high in sugar or refined carbs, can disrupt your blood sugar levels while you sleep. This often leads to restless sleep, night-time waking and early morning fatigue. When you give your body a proper break, your insulin response improves and so does your energy the next day.

3. It supports your natural circadian rhythm

Your body has an internal clock that governs hormones, temperature, digestion and metabolism. Eating late into the evening disrupts this natural rhythm and can throw your sleep hormones like melatonin and cortisol out of sync. When you align your eating window with your body clock, sleep quality often improves even without any other changes.

4. It encourages gentle overnight fasting

Stopping food by 8pm creates a natural 12–14 hour fasting window, which allows your body to use stored energy, support metabolic health and promote cellular clean-up (a process called autophagy). It is a gentle way to ease into intermittent fasting without extremes.

5. You sleep better and wake clearer

Time and time again, women tell me that once they stop eating late, they fall asleep faster, wake less during the night, and feel lighter and more rested in the morning. Less late-night snacking also means fewer reflux symptoms, less bloating and fewer sugar crashes.

But what if you are hungry?

Of course, this is not about starving yourself. It is about being intentional. If you are genuinely hungry after dinner, check if your earlier meals were balanced enough especially with protein and healthy fats. If needed, a small, protein-rich snack like natural yoghurt with a few seeds, or a cup of calming herbal tea can help you transition.

How to start

Try it for five nights. No pressure. No all-or-nothing thinking. Just aim to finish eating by 8pm and let your body rest.

Notice how you sleep. How you feel in the morning. How your digestion responds.

You might be surprised how powerful this small shift can be.

In a world full of health noise, the most powerful changes are often the simplest. The 8pm rule is not trendy or complicated but it works. It gives your body space to reset, repair and restore itself. And that is something everyone deserves.

If you enjoy expert wellness tips like this, I share more bite-sized strategies every week in my Health Bites newsletter from nutrition to skin, hormones to sleep.