Eating Before Bed: What are the Impacts on Sleep?
Last Updated on September 5, 2019
Reviewed by Donna Schowntkowski, DC, MS
Cravings, cravings, cravings! They happen all day, every day. For many of us, the greatest struggle is right before bed when we're more likely to choose the wrong food to eat, leading not only to a restless night of sleep but also to feeling a bit heavier the following morning.
But how does eating before bed affect your sleep? Is eating before bed bad for you? Or do certain foods contain distinct ingredients that can actually contribute to a better night's sleep and even help suppress hunger and speed up metabolism, leading to loss of weight? In this article, we'll dive into how eating before bed impacts our sleep, with both the best and worst foods for each goal in mind.
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Eating Before Bed: The Best and Worst Foods
Some foods are more conducive to better sleep than others depending on the nutrients they contain. The following list of vitamins, minerals, and hormones are some of the main ingredients to look for in foods to help prepare you for a restful slumber:
Main Nutrients That Promote Sleep
Now, before you run to your local grocery and stock up on foods loaded with these essential nutrients for a good night's sleep, remember that no matter what you eat, consuming too much food right before bedtime isn't a habit you want to get into.
In fact, medical experts from the Mayo Clinic and National Institutes of Health both advice eating your last meal for the night at least three hours before you intend to go to bed. This gives your body enough time to properly digest your snack or meal without interrupting your sleep pattern.
So eating before bed is not bad per se as long as you know what to eat and when to do it. With that said, let's take a look at some of the best foods to eat and foods that are bad to eat before bed.
The Best Foods for Getting a Good Night's Sleep
Almonds
Main Nutrients:
Magnesium; Tryptophan
Apart from producing a calming effect that relaxes your muscles and promotes restful sleep, almonds also increase nutrient absorption and helps fight inflammation.

Avocados
Main Nutrients:
Magnesium; Calcium; Tryptophan; Vitamin B6
Containing a chock full of helpful nutrients that benefit sleep and overall health, this fruit includes more than the recommended daily requirements of magnesium, dietary fiber, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K.

Bananas
Main Nutrients:
Magnesium; Tryptophan
The abundance of sleep-producing and muscle relaxing nutrients make bananas one of the best fruits to help prepare you for sleep.

Cherries or Cherry Juice
Main Nutrients:
Melatonin
One of the few natural food sources of melatonin, cherries are among the best sleep enhancers. Moreover, one of its by-products, the pigment anthocyanin, is also known to aid sleep. Tart cherry juice can also serve as an effective substitute.

Chicken and Turkey
Main Nutrients:
Tryptophan
While turkey is widely touted as the poultry with the most tryptophan, chicken actually contains more according to experts at the American Dietetic Association.

Cottage Cheese
Main Nutrients:
Tryptophan
Aside from tryptophan, cottage cheese is loaded with casein protein, which supplies your body with amino acids that contribute to muscle repair throughout the night.

Honey
Main Nutrients:
Melatonin
A food substance produced by bees, honey triggers insulin, which stimulates the release of tryptophan in the brain. This then is converted into serotonin, and eventually melatonin that makes you sleepy. Combining a teaspoon of honey with a soothing herbal tea can be even more effective.

Kiwis
Main Nutrients:
Serotonin
This berry has high antioxidant levels that allow the body to absorb the fruit's ample amount of serotonin, which can substantially improve sleep quantity and quality.

Milk
Main Nutrients:
Calcium; Tryptophan; Vitamin D
Drinking a glass of warm milk before bed to make you feel sleepy isn't just an old wives' tail, it actually works! And it's entirely due to its rich source of sleep-inducing nutrients.

Sunflower Seeds
Main Nutrients:
Magnesium; Tryptophan; Vitamin B6
Just eating a handful of these seeds daily may be enough to help you doze off at night. What's more, they're also known to improve mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Whole Grains
Main Nutrients:
Tryptophan; Vitamin B6
Foods made from whole grains like toast are rich in several sleep-inducing nutrients, which helps you relax and relieve anxiety that may prevent you from restful slumber.

Main Food Sources That Inhibit Sleep
Just as certain food ingredients help induce sleepiness, many types of food hinder restful sleep and should be avoided whenever possible:
Video
The Worst Foods for Getting a Good Night's Sleep
Celery
Food Type:
Water-Soluble Food
While this "green" food is an excellent source of antioxidants, its high water content means your sleep will likely be interrupted with frequent trips to the bathroom. This results in fewer calories are burned.

Cheeseburgers
Food Type:
Fatty Food
Not only does a high-fat food like a cheeseburger take much longer to digest, it also produces enough stomach acid to cause heartburn or acid reflux in the middle of the night.

Cheese Sauces
Food Type:
Fatty Food
Like most high-fat foods, rich cheese sauces like Alfredo sauce can prolong digestion time. Same goes for comfort foods like macaroni and cheese.

Coffee
Food Type:
Caffeinated Drink
While most people know to stay away from caffeinated coffee before bedtime, many supposed "caffeine-free" coffees actual contain more caffeine than their caffeinated counterparts! So, make sure to read the ingredients beforehand or simply avoid coffee altogether before bed.

Dark Chocolate
Food Type:
Caffeinated Food
Dark chocolate contains serotonin which helps induce sleep but it also includes enough caffeine to offset any good that might come from consuming it before bedtime (as much as one 8 oz. cup of coffee per half bar).

Fancy Water
Food Type:
Caffeinated Drink
Not only do some bottled waters on the market today contain loads of caffeine, they may also include other stimulants that make it even more of a pick-me-up. For example, the guarana extract from Brazil has twice the amount of caffeine than actual coffee beans.

Indian Curry
Food Type:
Spicy Food
When considering spicy foods, few dishes top Indian Curry for its hot seasoning. But the flavorful taste is also often accompanied by heartburn, acid reflux, and even night sweats from elevated blood pressure.

Sodas
Food Type:
Caffeinated Drink
Most sodas don't measure up to coffee in terms of caffeine content (25-50 milligrams per 12-ounce can versus 100 milligrams per 6-ounce cup) but it's still enough to wreak havoc on your sleep patterns.

Red Meat
Food Type:
High-Protein Food
While a light source of protein like nut butter is a reasonable snack before bed, heavier sources like sirloin steaks can lead to more sleep disturbances due to indigestion.

Wine
Food Type:
Alcohol
Even though drinking a glass of wine before bed is commonly believed to benefit sleep, it actually hinders it. Wine is more likely to disrupt your sleep cycle after falling asleep due to dehydration and other side effects of wine consumption like snoring.

The Best and Worst Bedtime Foods to Help You Lose Weight
So you've decided to lose weight and just as you're ready to chart a new course, those hunger pangs set in, especially right before bedtime. Then you either eat too much of the wrong thing or starve yourself thinking your noble efforts will speed up the weight reduction process. Sound familiar? Not only do both options result in more restless sleep, they're also unhealthy strategies to lose weight for long-term success.
To be clear, eating before bed doesn't necessarily lead to weight gain, despite the common perception. What's far more relevant are the number of calories consumed throughout the day, not the time of day they're consumed. So, for example, if you only ate a bagel the entire day but gorged on a 1,500 calorie 3-course meal at dinner, that in and of itself won't cause you to gain weight.
Now, ideally, you want to eat your heavier meals for breakfast and/or lunch and stick to a light meal for dinner. But what do you do when you get the munchies in the hour or two leading up to sleep? For these occasions, it's best to eat a healthy bedtime snack of up to 200 calories and to avoid foods abundant in salt or sugar, such as potato chips, chocolate, and ice cream, also known as "trigger foods."
You may also be tempted to skip the late-evening snack altogether as a way to accelerate your weight decrease, but this can actually have the opposite effect. First, if you go to sleep on an empty stomach, your blood sugar level may become low enough to cause you to wake you up at night. Also, cravings may lead to interrupted sleep which can lower your metabolism significantly and actually make you hungrier than you were before going to bed. Second, experiencing intense hunger can cause you to make unwise food choices in the morning.
Bottom line: It's okay to have a snack before bedtime if you're hungry, so long as it helps enhance sleep and doesn't exceed your calorie count for the day.
Main Food Sources That Promote Losing Weight During Sleep
Video
The Best Bedtime Foods for Weight Reduction
Almonds
Food Type:
Tryptophan; Low-Calorie Food; Low-Sugar Food
A "healthy fats" food low in simple carbohydrates and sugar content, almonds are also a good source of tryptophan, which helps aid slow digestion for more restful sleep.

Bananas
Food Type:
Low-Calorie Food
Apart from being a high-fiber, low-calorie fruit, bananas are also abundant in potassium and magnesium — two minerals that promote restful sleep. They can also help sustain blood sugar levels overnight.

Cottage Cheese
Food Type:
Tryptophan; Low-Calorie Food; Low-Sugar Food; Slow-Digesting Protein Food
A great, easy to digest "substitute food," cottage cheese is best when added to a smoothie or bowl of fruit to fill you up without racking up too many excess calories.

Greek Yogurt
Food Type:
Tryptophan; Low-Calorie Food; Slow-Digesting Protein Food
The mega protein and calcium found in Greek yogurt will help speed up your metabolism and burn calories while you sleep.

Green Foods
Food Type:
Low-Calorie Food; Low-Sugar Food
Not only are most "green" foods like green cauliflower, broccoli, and asparagus low in caloric content, their high level of potassium and magnesium will also boost your metabolism, thus helping you shed calories quicker.

High-Fiber Cereal
Food Type:
Low-Calorie Food; Low-Sugar Food
Any sugar-free cereal high in fiber like a bran cereal fills you up without adding too many calories to your daily count. Combined with the sleep-inducing properties of milk makes for a good bedtime snack.

Oatmeal
Food Type:
Tryptophan; Low-Calorie Food; Low-Sugar Food; Slow-Digesting Protein Food
If you have hunger pangs, this grain will solve it fast. Just be sure to stay away from sugary versions and stick with steel-cut oatmeal or plain packets instead.

Peanut Butter
Food Type:
Tryptophan; Low-Sugar Food; Slow-Digesting Protein Food
Rich in protein and healthy fats, peanut butter tastes great and satisfies your hunger fast, making it the perfect late-night snack.

Protein Shake
Food Type:
Slow-Digesting Protein Food
As long as you're mindful of the calories, protein shakes are both filling and terrific for losing weight as they help boost your metabolism in the course of the night.

Rooibos Tea
Food Type:
Low-Calorie Drink
An herb from South Africa with a fruit-like flavor and hint of nuts, Rooibos Tea contains unique properties that actually block the storage of fat cells in the body, leading to weight reduction.

String Cheese
Food Type:
Tryptophan; Low-Calorie Food; Slow-Digesting Protein Food
A protein-rich "filler" food that helps energize your metabolism, string cheese can satiate food cravings late at night without adding too many calories to your daily intake.

Sweet Potatoes
Food Type:
Low-Calorie Food; Low-Sugar Food
A high-fiber, low-calorie superfood, sweet potatoes can keep you feeling full for long stretches of time. It also helps increase serotonin levels, leading to better sleep while your body burns calories.

Main Food Sources That Inhibit Loss of Weight During Sleep
As you might imagine, the types of foods that inhibit losing weight while sleeping are wide and varied. But not only can they pack extra pounds on your frame, they can also interrupt your sleep due to indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, and other conditions. And when you don't sleep well, your body has a harder time losing weight:
The Worst Bedtime Foods for Weight Loss
Buffalo Hot Wings
Food Type:
Spicy Food
While spicy foods like Buffalo Hot Wings may speed up your metabolism, it doesn't help much when you're kept awake late at night with an upset stomach. Generally speaking, spicy foods and dishes are best eaten earlier in the day.

Dark Chocolate
Food Type:
Caffeinated Food
Dark chocolate is touted for its antioxidant properties but it's not the best bedtime snack as it contains stimulants like caffeine that can keep you up at night, thus inhibiting loss of weight.

Fruit Juices
Food Type:
High-Sugar Drink
Believe it or not, fruit juices aren't much healthier than sodas as the sugar content is practically just as high! Moreover, juices like orange juice contain loads of unnecessary calories that are better consumed as food.

Ice Cream
Food Type:
High-Carb Food; High-Sugar Food
While Breyer's and Haagen Dazs may seem like obvious no-no's, ice creams made from coconut milk or yogurt are also best avoided as many contain sugar additives or triglycerides that don't metabolize well for losing weight at night.

Pastries
Food Type:
Fried Food; High-Carb Food; High-Sugar Food
Sure, pastries taste delicious but they usually contain ingredients that won't help you with your weight goals, such as saturated fats, refined flour, and high amounts of sugar and calories.

Pizza
Food Type:
High-Carb Food
When it comes to heartburn and other types of indigestion, few foods match pizza. The high-fat content of cheese and pizza toppings like pepperoni combined with the acidity of tomato sauce is enough to rob you of restful sleep and thus weight loss.

Red Meat
Food Type:
High-Protein Food
While red meat is a good source of protein and nutrients, it's also high in saturated fat, which can lead to lighter, less restorative sleep. Lean cuts, however, may be okay but only in moderation.

White Bread, Pretzels, and Refined-Grain Crackers
Food Type:
High-Carb Food; High-Sugar Food
Any foods made from refined grains are harder to digest and thus not advised before bedtime. Moreover, they contain simple carbs that lead to a sluggish metabolism, which can make you feel hungry again after a short time.

Resources & Further Reading
Now Over to You!
What's your favorite bedtime snack and/or what changes to your bedtime diet do you hope to make? Leave your comments below!
Donna is a chiropractic physician with two degrees in nutrition and a Master’s in Herbology. Besides working with patients in these fields, she has been a professional writer for over 30 years. Her highest degree is a doctorate in chiropractic medicine from National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Illinois in 1990. She has also taught hundreds of students how to reverse Type 2 diabetes and other conditions with natural healing, accelerated learning, nutrition, herbs, detoxification, dieting, and has trained children on how to read five books in a week in her own unique program. Her favorite hobby is reading hundreds of medical studies a month on science topics such as stem cells, neurobiology, natural healing, and nutrition.