Foods to Eat and Avoid for Better Sleep

October 28, 2022

Published: October 28, 2022

Updated: May 26, 2023

The general wisdom is not to eat late at night – it might cause weight gain and you’ll have a hard time falling asleep. But if you’re really hungry, a growling stomach could keep you awake all night. Not all foods are the enemy of sleep. In this blog post, we’ll tell you about some healthy late-night snacks that can actually help you fall asleep and create better sleep quality!

General Tips for Snacking and Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

If you’re going to eat late at night, here are some things to keep in mind. First, if possible, try not to eat a large meal within 2-3 hours of going to sleep. Digesting a large amount of food can make it harder for you to fall asleep and decrease sleep quality.1-4 If you need to eat late at night, try to limit yourself to just a small snack. On the flip side, don’t go to sleep hungry. Finding foods that help you sleep improves sleep quality and increases sleep hygiene.

Snacking and Sleep Quality

Hunger can make it harder to fall asleep, so it’s often a good idea to eat a small snack instead of going to bed on an empty stomach to improve sleep quality. One reason why people often gain weight by eating late at night is that they are more likely to snack on junk food.4 So, it’s the high calorie, sodium, and saturated fat content that keeps them awake, not the timing of their meal. Continue reading to better understand how diet effects sleep hygiene.

Late-Night Snacks that Help You Sleep

Next time late-night cravings hit, try one of these healthy sleep-promoting snacks to help you sleep! (and yes… warm milk is on the list!) They are nutritious and promote sleep quality.

  • Nuts
    Pistachios, almonds, and walnuts are high in sleep-promoting properties, and they’re part of a healthy diet! These nuts contain melatonin and magnesium.5,6 Melatonin helps regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycle and magnesium relaxes you by reducing inflammation and levels of the stress hormone cortisol.7 Plus, nuts are a good source of healthy fats.5
  • Kiwi
    Fruit is always a healthy snack, but they also promote better sleep! Kiwis are some of the best for promoting a good night’s sleep.8 This is because they contain serotonin, a mood-stabilizing hormone. They’re great for your overall health because they contain a high level of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. They are also very low in calories.5
  • Tart cherries and tart cherry juice
    Another good fruit choice to improve sleep quality is tart cherries. Or, you can drink tart cherry juice and get the same effect, but it won’t be as filling. Tart cherries are high in magnesium and antioxidants, making them great for relaxing and for your overall health. They contain high levels of melatonin that promote sleep.9
  • Dairy products
    A glass of warm milk is often suggested as a way to help children sleep, and there is truth in this!10 Low-fat dairy products are good sources of vitamin d and tryptophan, which help you sleep.5 Since dairy products are high in protein, they will keep you full and prevent you from waking up in the middle of the night hungry again. Low-fat string cheese, cottage cheese, warm milk, and plain yogurt are all good late-night snacks and sleep inducing foods since it is high in vitamin D.
  • Bananas
    Bananas are high in magnesium and potassium, which help you sleep. They contain vitamin B6, which your body uses to produce melatonin.5 Melatonin production not only is known to stop sleep disturbances, but also, promotes better sleep.6

Foods to Avoid If You Want to Fall Asleep

It’s equally as important to know what foods to avoid snacking on if you want to get a good night’s sleep or fall asleep faster. Here are some of the ones that are more likely to keep you up at night and create poor sleep quality:

  • Foods that contain caffeine
    Soda, coffee, tea, and chocolate all contain caffeine that will boost your energy and make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.11 Many types of soda are high in sugar, which will also give you a temporary boost of energy and disrupt sleep cycles.
  • Sugary foods
    Foods that are high in sugar give you a short-term energy boost, so they’ll keep you awake.12
  • Alcohol
    A moderate amount of alcohol can make you feel sleepy, but once that effect wears off, alcohol will actually disrupt your sleep cycles and decrease sleep hygiene.13
  • Spicy foods
    Spicy foods raise your heart rate and may contribute to symptoms of acid reflux and stomach ache. The discomfort will make it more difficult for you to sleep and may disturb a healthy sleep cycle.14,15
  • Fatty foods
    Fatty foods are harder for your body to digest and can contribute to stomach aches and acid reflux, which may disrupt your sleep cycle.16,17

Summary

It’s hard to sleep on an empty stomach, so it’s a good idea to eat a small healthy snack if you’re hungry at night. Be sure to stick to foods that help you sleep and won’t keep you up late. Try some of the snacks on this list!

Remember that sleep is a complicated process. One food won’t fix insomnia, so if you find that you are having trouble sleeping very often, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor.

References

  1. Chung N, Bin YS, Cistulli PA, Chow CM. Does the proximity of meals to bedtime influence the sleep of young adults? A cross-sectional survey of university students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2677. doi:10.3390/ijerph17082677
  2. Sejbuk M, Mirończuk-Chodakowska I, Witkowska AM. Sleep quality: A narrative review on nutrition, stimulants, and physical activity as important factors. Nutrients. 2022;14(9):1912. doi:10.3390/nu14091912
  3. Binks H, E Vincent G, Gupta C, Irwin C, Khalesi S. Effects of diet on sleep: A narrative review. Nutrients. 2020;12(4):936. doi:10.3390/nu12040936
  4. Vujović N, Piron MJ, Qian J, et al. Late isocaloric eating increases hunger, decreases energy expenditure, and modifies metabolic pathways in adults with overweight and obesity. Cell Metab. 2022;34(10):1486-1498.e7. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2022.09.007
  5. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData central. Usda.gov. Published April 2023. Accessed May 26, 2023. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
  6. Meng X, Li Y, Li S, et al. Dietary sources and bioactivities of melatonin. Nutrients. 2017;9(4):367. doi:10.3390/nu9040367
  7. Melatonin: what you need to know. Nih.gov. Published July 2022. Accessed May 26, 2023. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know
  8. Lin HH, Tsai PS, Fang SC, Liu JF. Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problems. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2011;20(2):169-174.
  9. Pigeon WR, Carr M, Gorman C, Perlis ML. Effects of a tart cherry juice beverage on the sleep of older adults with insomnia: a pilot study. J Med Food. 2010;13(3):579-583. doi:10.1089/jmf.2009.0096
  10. Komada Y, Okajima I, Kuwata T. The effects of milk and dairy products on sleep: A systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(24):9440. doi:10.3390/ijerph17249440
  11. O’Callaghan F, Muurlink O, Reid N. Effects of caffeine on sleep quality and daytime functioning. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2018;11:263-271. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S156404
  12. Alahmary SA, Alduhaylib SA, Alkawii HA, et al. Relationship between added sugar intake and sleep quality among university students: A cross-sectional study. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2022;16(1):122-129. doi:10.1177/1559827619870476
  13. Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013;37(4):539-549. doi:10.1111/acer.12006
  14. Edwards SJ, Montgomery IM, Colquhoun EQ, Jordan JE, Clark MG. Spicy meal disturbs sleep: an effect of thermoregulation? Int J Psychophysiol. 1992;13(2):97-100. doi:10.1016/0167-8760(92)90048-g
  15. Lee SY, Masaoka T, Han HS, et al. A prospective study on symptom generation according to spicy food intake and TRPV1 genotypes in functional dyspepsia patients. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016;28(9):1401-1408. doi:10.1111/nmo.12841
  16. Lindseth G, Murray A. Dietary macronutrients and sleep. West J Nurs Res. 2016;38(8):938-958. doi:10.1177/0193945916643712
  17. Khodarahmi M, Azadbakht L. Dietary fat intake and functional dyspepsia. Adv Biomed Res. 2016;5(1):76. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.180988
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