How do you fit eating and drinking into a Ramadan night? Set your hours and see
Fasting for Ramadan squeezes a whole day of eating and drinking into the hours between sunset and dawn, and those hours change with the season and where you live.
Set the length of your night and see how to spread your fluids and meals across it, using what EFSA, the NHS and other public health bodies say. This is not medical advice: talk to a doctor first if you have a condition, are pregnant, or take medication.
If you are fasting for Ramadan, the hard part is not usually the food. It is fitting a whole day of drinking and eating into the hours between sunset and dawn, which can be as short as six hours or as long as fourteen depending on the season and where you live. This guide is for anyone who is new to it, or helping someone who is, and wants a calm, practical way to spread things out.
This is not medical advice. It only covers the food and drink side, using what public health bodies say.
Set your hours, see your night
The numbers behind it
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers a total water intake of 2.0 litres a day adequate for women and 2.5 litres for men. That total includes water in food, which is usually around a fifth of the total, so the planner aims for about 80% of it as drinks. The NHS gives a simpler guide of 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day and says water, lower-fat milk, tea and coffee all count. It also suggests limiting juice and smoothies to one small glass of 150 ml a day with a meal. These are guides, not targets: you may need more in hot weather or if you are active, and the sources give no exact figure for fasting.
Break the fast gently
Break your fast with water and something small, then eat a normal meal rather than a feast.
UK government guidance for Ramadan says to keep meals simple and close to your usual diet, to include foods from all the main groups, and not to break the fast with a feast, which it says can lead to weight gain whatever the length of the fast. It also says to eat at least two meals a day: iftar and the pre-dawn meal, suhoor. Many people start with water and a few dates or a piece of fruit, then wait a few minutes before the main meal. Foods with fibre and protein, such as oats, wholegrain bread, eggs, yoghurt, beans and lentils, tend to keep you fuller for longer, so they suit suhoor in particular.
Who should check first
Fasting is not for everyone, and Islam itself allows exemptions. Norwegian health authorities list age, pregnancy, breastfeeding, illness and long journeys among them, and say people with diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, kidney problems or who take essential medicines should talk to their doctor before fasting. Talk to a doctor first if you have a health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have or have had an eating disorder, or take medication, especially for diabetes or blood pressure. Do not change doses on your own.
Feeling dizzy, very tired, nauseous or having trouble concentrating can be signs of dehydration or low blood pressure. These are reasons to drink, rest and get advice, not to push through.
What to look for
- Fluids spread out across the whole night, not all at iftar.
- Two real meals, not skipped ones, with starch, protein, fruit and vegetables.
- Your own warning signs. Dizziness or a dry mouth that does not ease are signals to stop and ask for help.
- A plan with your doctor if you have a condition or take medicines.