These common foods might be preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep.
If you have a poor night of sleep and wake up feeling tired, groggy, or grumpy, it can be tempting to pinpoint obvious issues like stress or intrusive lights. However, one factor in sleep quality is often forgotten about: diet. That’s right, what you eat throughout the day—and especially before bed—can actually have a big impact on the quality of your sleep.
Developing a good sleep routine with a consistent schedule that allows for enough sleep is a critical element of overall health and well-being. After all, high-quality sleep plays an important role in immune function, metabolism, memory, and learning—not to mention energy levels. A bad night of sleep can affect mood, judgment, and ability to retain information. Without enough good sleep over time, people are far more susceptible to long-term health issues including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.[1]
Luckily, there are many ways to improve the quality of your sleep and get back to a relaxing night of sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed and well-rested. By being mindful of what you eat and drink before bed, you can avoid common issues that get in between you and a good night’s sleep. Here’s what not to eat before bed.
7 Foods and Drinks to Avoid Before Bed
- Alcohol. While a “nightcap” or other evening drink is fairly commonplace, it’s actually one of the worst things to have before bed. While alcohol might make you drowsy, it severely impacts quality of sleep.[2] Your natural sleep cycle can get disrupted, making it harder to get the high-quality REM sleep that your body needs to rest and heal. Drinking alcohol before bed can also cause acid reflux and exacerbate sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.[3]
- Fatty foods. Like any food group, fatty or fried foods are’t bad for you in moderation. But they can be bad for your sleep. Heavy, fatty foods—like French fries, cheeseburgers, or even avocados and steak—are harder to digest than other foods. That means that while your body is trying to rest and recover, it has to keep working to break down these meals.[4] Some people also feel bloated after eating these types of foods, which can cause discomfort that makes it hard to relax into sleep.
- Caffeine. This one may not come as a surprise—of course, caffeine has a significant effect on quality of sleep. But it stays in the system longer than you might expect. In fact, research suggests that you should avoid ingesting caffeine for at least six hours before bedtime.[5] Caffeine can be hidden in tea, soda, and even dark chocolate.[6]
- Sugar. Ever had a sugar high? Sugar is a stimulant, readying your body for activity—the last thing you want as you’re winding down for the night. One study found that people with sugar-rich diets experienced lighter, less restorative sleep and restlessness.[7] Unfortunately, poor sleep and sugar consumption can sometimes go hand in hand. With less sleep, you might be more inclined to reach for sugary foods, which can then contribute to worse nights of sleep.[8]
- Spicy foods. Curries and hot sauce might be delicious, but they can prevent a good night’s sleep. Spicy food is filled with capsaicin, which can elevate your body temperature during the first few sleep cycles, causing poorer sleep quality.[9] Some individuals also experience heartburn after eating spicy foods, and lying down to sleep can exacerbate the discomfort of heartburn.
- Acidic foods. Acidic foods can irritate the stomach and trigger indigestion and acid reflux. Nighttime reflux has been associated with sleep disturbances—including difficulty falling asleep, shorter sleep duration, and poor sleep quality—that affect how restorative your sleep is.[10] Foods like orange juice, raw onion, and tomato sauce are all high in acidity. So while a slice of pizza might seem like an innocent pre-bed snack, it could cause discomfort overnight.
- Cruciferous or high-fiber veggies. This includes foods like broccoli, cauliflower, dried fruit, beans, and brussels sprouts. All of these foods are an important part of a healthy, balanced diet—just not right before bed. These can cause gas or bloating that are not only uncomfortable, but can disrupt your sleep. If you plan to head to bed right after dinner, these high-fiber foods are better served at lunch.
Tips for Better Sleep Through Diet
There are many ways to develop better sleep hygiene and a consistent sleep routine that leads to more restful sleep and better health. Diet can have a huge impact on how your body readies itself for sleep. Here are three ways to make sure your healthy, balanced diet also supports your sleep goals.
- Have healthy snacks prepared. Late-night snacks are often driven by impulse, craving, and convenience, which may lead you to reach for fatty or sugary foods. To help avoid this, try preparing small snacks that are appropriate for nighttime. Bananas, cherries, and low-sugar yogurt are all great snack options that won’t affect the quality of your sleep.[11]
- Try “closing the kitchen.” If you find yourself eating up until bedtime, try setting a target time to close the kitchen. Waiting two to three hours between your final meal and your bedtime can help your body digest food and avoid disruptive sleep issues like heartburn or acid reflux.[12]
- Keep a sleep journal. Small choices in your day might not feel impactful, but rest assured that they add up and can have huge impacts on your overall health. If you’re adjusting your diet to be healthier and support better sleep hygiene, try tracking how you feel over a week or two. Mark down what you’ve eaten or any diet changes, bedtimes and wake-up times, and how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. This can help you see whether your diet is having an impact and keep you motivated to make healthy choices.
Simple changes can have a big impact. By keeping these dos and don’ts in mind, and intentionally selecting your evening meals, you can help your body prepare for a restful, rejuvenating night of sleep. By sleeping soundly throughout the night, you won’t just wake up feeling energized and well-rested—you’ll have set yourself up for a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
FAQs
What foods affect sleep?
Foods that stimulate your body, like high-sugar foods or anything with caffeine, can affect sleep and reduce sleep quality. Acidic, spicy, high-fiber, and high-fat foods can cause issues like indigestion, bloating, acid reflux, or heartburn, so they should be avoided before sleep.
What is the best snack before bed?
If you need a snack before bed, look for small, healthy snacks that are easy to digest. Low-sugar yogurt, bananas, and tart cherries are all good pre-bed snack options that won’t disrupt your sleep overnight.
[1] https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences
[2] https://www.sleephealthsolutionsohio.com/blog/foods-avoid-before-sleep/
[3] https://www.cpap.com/blog/alcohol-and-sleep-apnea/
[4] https://northfloridasleepsolutions.com/10-worst-foods-to-eat-before-bed
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3805807/
[6] https://www.healthline.com/health/does-chocolate-have-caffeine
[7] https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.5384
[8] https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/107/1/43/4794751?login=false#112507111
[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1399758/
[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22592763
[11] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/healthy-bedtime-snacks
