Deciding when to eat usually comes down to personal preference and what your schedule looks like, but the timing of your meals is about more than convenience: It has an impact on your overall well-being.

Keeping a consistent eating schedule can help regulate your circadian rhythm—the body’s internal clock that initiates your sleep-wake cycle. When your circadian rhythm is repeatedly disrupted (such as through irregular eating and sleeping) it can lead to an increased risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

Here’s what experts want you to know about when to eat for better health.

When to eat breakfast

Eat your first meal of the day within one to two hours of waking up to help stabilize your blood sugar, advises Lisa Young, professor of nutrition and registered dietitian. “If you’re not a morning person, it’s okay to keep it light,” she tells Fortune, but you should still eat something, even if you’re not that hungry.

Why? “Skipping breakfast may lead to lower energy, overeating later, and poor concentration,” she explains, adding that having a breakfast with complex carbohydrates, protein, and fat will support steady energy and regulate appetite.

Further, skipping breakfast could raise your risk of developing a chronic disease: A 2019 review of several studies found that skipping breakfast was linked to greater instances of obesity.

When to eat lunch

Young advises having lunch between noon and 1:30 p.m., explaining that ideally you should aim to eat every three to five hours. You don’t want to go too long without eating—or skip meals altogether—she says, because it can lead to fatigue, irritability, and overeating, and it may disrupt blood sugar balance.

The best time to eat dinner

Aim to eat dinner before 7:30 p.m., says Young, or at least two to three hours before bedtime to give your body time to digest and ensure your sleep won’t be disrupted by heartburn or gastrointestinal distress.

There’s substantial data linking late eating with a higher overall calorie intake and an increased risk for obesity. One study suggests that the hormone responsible for feeling full, leptin A, decreases later in the day, which can lead to late-night overeating.

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