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However, what is clear is that our circadian rhythms influence the circadian rhythms of our gut bacteria, and that the circadian activity of the bacteria we accommodate in our gut impacts upon our metabolism.

We all have to make choices and sometimes, as an adult, it may be a good idea to make those choices in the late morning rather than the late afternoon.

Those individuals who exercised between morning and mid-afternoon (7 a.m. to around 3 p.m.) woke earlier, whereas those exercising later (7–10 p.m.) woke later, with little impact on sleep timing when exercise was undertaken between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m.

We now appreciate that the same meal consumed at different times of day can produce very different levels of blood glucose due to the circadian-driven changes in glucose uptake and metabolism.

This has very important consequences, not least for those of us who eat most of our daily calories in the evening. For clarity, I define evening loosely as between 6 p.m. and bedtime. Evening eaters are at a greatly increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance, Type 2 diabetes, weight gain and obesity.

So stick to decaffeinated drinks or herbal tea in the late afternoon and evening.

One final tip is that if you walk for 30–45 minutes after an evening meal, rather than before, this can assist in the control of blood glucose and hence weight loss.835,836

Bedside lights should be bright enough to read, but kept as low as possible to reduce alertness.

Cognitive abilities tend to rise and peak later in the day. On average they are delayed by about two hours, peaking in the mid-afternoon