11 Foods to Avoid Before Sleeping!

Introduction

As winter starts, late-night cravings often become harder to ignore, and changes in weather can also disturb your sleep. However, many people do not realise that the food you eat can affect how well you sleep. Some foods may negatively affect sleep quality, especially if eaten close to bedtime.

How Does Food Affect Your Body?

A busy lifestyle can affect your body, which in turn, affects how well you sleep. What you eat also plays a key role in your overall health and sleep quality.

Most research suggests that a night of disturbed sleep can increase cravings for unhealthy snacks and junk food the next day¹. Therefore, be mindful of what you eat before bedtime, as it may interfere with your sleep and your health in the long term.

Foods That You Should Avoid Before Bed

These foods may affect your sleep and are best avoided before bedtime.

1. Dark Chocolate 

Dark chocolate may not be a good food choice before bedtime as it contains caffeine and amino acids². Both caffeine and amino acids can keep you up at night, leaving you tired the next day. Dark chocolate may give you an energy boost, which makes it an ideal afternoon snack rather than a late-night one. It also contains theobromine, which is a cardiac stimulant that might interfere with sleep².

2. Ice cream

Ice cream is a popular dessert that many people love to eat as an after-dinner treat. A bowl full of ice cream can be tempting, but the sugar in it may interfere with your sleep³. Ice cream is high in both fat and sugar, which, when consumed frequently, may lead to unhealthy cholesterol levels and increase the chance of heart conditions⁴. Although gelatos are believed to be a lighter version of ice cream, they can also contain a high amount of sugar. Therefore, it is important to check their sugar content before consuming them.

Sugary treats, like candy bars, ice creams, and cakes are all best avoided at night as they may lead to poor sleep.

3. Sugar

Sugar is the main culprit in most foods that may interfere with your sleep. It can increase your energy levels, making it harder to fall asleep quickly³. Foods high in sugar are more likely to disrupt sleep rather than support restful sleep.

4. Coffee

It is common knowledge that coffee can keep you awake for a longer time at night. Caffeine can remain in your system for hours, so it’s best to avoid it for several hours before going to bed. Caffeine can stimulate the central nervous system, and its effects may last up to 12 hours. So keep your sleep in mind when you’re thinking about having a cup of coffee in the latter half of the day^5,6.

I may advise you to avoid consuming certain foods before sleep, such as fast food, instant noodles, and confectionaries. Research suggests that individuals who have shorter sleep durations or poor sleep quality tend to consume more of these unhealthy food options. So, to promote better sleep and overall health, it’s recommended to avoid these food choices before bedtime.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

5. Cheese

Have you heard that you may get weird dreams after eating cheese at night? Yes, it might be possible⁷. Cheese is rich in the amino acid tyramine that might keep your brain alert for a longer time. It also has saturated fats that might contribute to reduced sleep⁸. So despite the fondness for a post-dinner cheese-board, remember that eating cheese at night may only make it harder for you to fall asleep.

6. Red Meat and Chicken

Both red meat and chicken are rich in animal-based proteins that take a lot of energy to digest. These proteins contain tyrosine, an amino acid that may help promote brain activity and improve dopamine (hormone) synthesis. Therefore, foods containing tyrosine may make falling asleep increasingly difficult, especially in the elderly. Think twice before eating any of these foods close to your bedtime as they could disrupt your sleep schedule⁹.

7. Alcohol

Yes, you may feel drowsy after drinking a glass of wine or beer, but it may harm your sleep patterns. Drinking alcohol right before bed can make your sleep quality suffer. Research shows that drinking alcohol before bed can make you more likely to wake up throughout the night. Alcohol may also lead to snoring since it is a potent muscle relaxer.

Beer drinkers also tend to get up every 2 to 3 hours after going to bed to go to the bathroom due to the excess of liquids consumed after dinner¹⁰.

8. Pizza

One of the classic midnight foods you crave should now be off your list! Eating pizza before bedtime is not advisable, no matter how much you like it. Cheese is rich in fat and tomato sauce is acidic, making this popular late-night dish harder to digest and potentially disruptive to sleep^8,11.

9. Tomatoes

Tomatoes may interfere with sleep because their acidity may cause heartburn or indigestion¹¹. They also contain tyramine, an amino acid that can stimulate the brain and make it harder to fall asleep.

10. Diuretic Foods

Diuretic foods mean foods that induce excess urination. Celery, carrots, cucumber, ginger, watermelons, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol have diuretic effects. Consuming these foods close to bedtime may make you wake up frequently to use the washroom¹², which can affect your sleep quality.

11. Water

Drinking too much water close to bedtime can interrupt your sleep significantly as you will have to wake up frequently to use the washroom¹³. Instead, start reducing your fluid intake around 3 hours before going to bed.

I would suggest avoiding consuming red pepper before sleep. Research has shown that red pepper might increase your body temperature, which may make it harder for your body to cool down naturally during sleep. When you’re too hot, it might interfere with the body’s ability to transition to a comfortable sleeping temperature.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

General Tips on Foods to Avoid Before Sleep

• Avoid large meals and foods that are heavy to digest close to your bedtime.
• Avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine (e.g., tea, energy drinks, and certain chocolates), as they can result in disrupted sleep¹⁴.
• Like caffeine, tyramine also acts as a stimulant and disrupts sleep, so avoid tyramine-rich foods, such as soya sauce, tomatoes, and certain cheeses^15,16.
• Avoid spicy and acidic foods as they can cause heartburn and acidity, which may prevent you from falling asleep¹⁴.

Now, you have a better idea of how even simple food can affect your sleep. So, be mindful of what you eat before bedtime. Another habit that could help you sleep better is having dinner at the right time! It is advisable to have your meals at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Conclusion

Foods high in caffeine, sugar, fat, acidity, or stimulant amino acids like tyramine and tyrosine may delay sleep onset and disturb sleep patterns. Additionally, diuretic foods and excess fluid intake might also increase nighttime urination and interrupt sleep. Therefore, avoiding heavy, spicy, sugary, and stimulant-rich foods at night and having dinner early may help you by promoting better and uninterrupted sleep.

Also Read: Natural Home Remedies For Good Sleep

References

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2. Nisar M, Mohammad RM, Arshad A, Hashmi I, Yousuf SM, Baig S. Influence of Dietary Intake on Sleeping Patterns of Medical Students. Cureus. Published online February 20, 2019. doi:10.7759/cureus.4106. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6476615/
3. Alahmary SA, Alduhaylib SA, Alkawii HA, et al. Relationship Between Added Sugar Intake and Sleep Quality Among University Students: A Cross-sectional Study. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2022;16(1):122-129. doi:10.1177/1559827619870476. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8848117/
4. Legassa O. Ice Cream Nutrition and Its Health Impacts. 2020;7(1):19-27. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Oli-Legassa/publication/360997458_International_Journal_of_Food_and_Nutritional_Science_Ice_Cream_Nutrition_and_Its_Health_Impacts/links/62974effc660ab61f8572bdb/International-Journal-of-Food-and-Nutritional-Science-Ice-Cream-Nutrition-and-Its-Health-Impacts.pdf
5. Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, et al. The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2023;69:101764. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101764. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36870101/
6. Caffeine. 2022. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/caffeine
7. Nielsen T, Powell RA. Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: food and diet as instigators of bizarre and disturbing dreams. Front Psychol. 2015;6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00047. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4330685/
8. St-Onge MP, Zuraikat FM, Neilson M. Exploring the Role of Dairy Products In Sleep Quality: From Population Studies to Mechanistic Evaluations. Advances in Nutrition. 2023;14(2):283-294. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.01.004. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10229376/
9. Lana A, Struijk EA, Arias-Fernandez L, et al. Habitual Meat Consumption and Changes in Sleep Duration and Quality in Older Adults. Aging and disease. 2019;10(2):267. doi:10.14336/AD.2018.0503 Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329614724_Habitual_Meat_Consumption_and_Changes_in_Sleep_Duration_and_Quality_in_Older_Adults.
10. Chaput JP. Alcohol, Wine, and Sleep in Adults: Insights from a Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2026;18(4):585. doi:10.3390/nu18040585. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/4/585
11. Khan M, Shah K, Gill SK, et al. Dietary Habits and Their Impact on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Cureus. Published online July 27, 2024. doi:10.7759/cureus.65552. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11347905/
12. Alwis US, Haddad R, Monaghan TF, et al. Impact of food and drinks on urine production: A systematic review. Int J Clin Pract. 2020;74(9). doi:10.1111/ijcp.13539. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32441853/
13. Kaida K, Itoi K, Soeta Y, Ooie T, Oishi K. Effects of plain water intake before bedtime on sleep and depressive mood among middle-aged Japanese men. Yamada Y, ed. PLoS One. 2026;21(1):e0340490. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0340490. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12774356/
14. Iao SI, Jansen E, Shedden K, et al. Associations between bedtime eating or drinking, sleep duration and wake after sleep onset: findings from the American time use survey. Br J Nutr. 2022;127(12):1888-1897. doi:10.1017/S0007114521003597. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9092657/
15. Vernia F, Di Ruscio M, Ciccone A, et al. Sleep disorders related to nutrition and digestive diseases: a neglected clinical condition. Int J Med Sci. 2021;18(3):593-603. doi:10.7150/ijms.45512. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7797530/
16. Tyramine-Containing Foods. 2002. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK65970.1/table/CDR0000062739__412/?report=objectonly

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