It might be time to forgo that pre-bed bowl of sugary cereal or late-night drive-thru run if you want a good night's sleep. Multiple factors prevent us from sinking into a deep slumber at night – and eating certain foods could be one of them. While there are a few habits you can get into that'll set you up for a decent doze (such as eating early and eating light), avoiding the following foods is a sure-fire way to improve your chances of a restful night.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 21 foods you should never eat before bedtime, counting down to the most impactful.
We've based our ranking on each food's effects on sleep, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.
Like other aged foods, fermented sauces – including soy sauce, fish sauce and teriyaki sauce – contain high levels of the amino acid tyramine, which boosts production of the brain stimulant norepinephrine, causing alertness. Not only that, but tyramine is also thought to be the culprit behind migraines. While they're undoubtedly delicious and add a depth of rich umami flavour to meals, you should cut down your intake (or simply avoid them too close to bedtime) to ensure you have a restful night.
Some dried fruits are perfectly fine to snack on before bedtime – but it's best to check the label on the packet before you indulge. Some dried fruits are heavily processed and contain added sugars (which are known to sabotage sleep), while others can be difficult to digest, causing night-time discomfort. Choose dried fruits that are high in magnesium, such as prunes, as these can promote relaxation.
Whether you struggle with acid reflux or not, avoiding citrus fruits before your nightly slumber is recommended due to their intense levels of acidity. Fruits including oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits and tangerines may be high in vitamin C, but they aren’t the easiest foods to digest – and they have the potential to cause indigestion and heartburn. Reserve these fruits for an energising, nutrient-packed breakfast instead.
If you suffer from acid reflux, you’ll already be aware of the side effects tomatoes can cause – but these highly acidic fruits can also cause issues like heartburn and indigestion, which worsen when we're lying down. This goes for non-fresh tomato products, too; before bed, you're best off avoiding tomato-based sauces, stews, soups, juices and (sadly) pizza. While tomatoes do contain melatonin, a natural sleep-enhancing hormone, it's best to avoid them for at least three hours before heading to sleep if you have issues with acid reflux or indigestion.
As much as a dreamy scoop of ice cream before bed can be tempting, you might want to have a rethink if it’s your late-night treat of choice. Ice cream is high in fat and loaded with sugar – two things that can have a negative impact on sleep. For a similarly sweet and satisfying dessert, try a non-fat yogurt instead.
While a small glass of room-temperature water before bed can work to hydrate the body after a day’s activity, drinking a large quantity of fluid late in the evening will put a strain on your bladder and cause you to need the toilet throughout the night. Try to drink more fluids during the day, tapering off your intake around two hours before bed.
Similar to aged sauces, fermented or smoked meats (such as bacon, chorizo, frankfurters, pepperoni and salami) can hinder your chances of nodding off blissfully at night. These meats also contain the amino acid tyramine, which is thought to induce sleeplessness – so it's best not to indulge in a charcuterie platter, hot dog or bacon sandwich before bed.
We’re not saying you have to forgo the occasional celebratory sirloin, but devouring red meat too late at night has been linked with disrupted sleep. This protein-packed food source is difficult to digest, and lying down too soon after a heavy meal of steak or lamb will encourage your digestive system to work harder, when it should be slowing down. Cue indigestion and acid reflux – neither of which are ideal when you're trying to drift off.
Not only can a high-sodium diet lead to high blood pressure, but salty foods can also disrupt your sleep. Even a late sodium-packed dinner can have an impact, causing restless sleep and water retention – meaning you’re likely to be up and down the corridor to the bathroom all night. While your nightly packet of crisps could be contributing to this, other salty culprits include pizza, bread, crackers, processed snacks and fast foods.
A late-night round of toast with butter can be delicious, but you might want to reconsider your choice of bread next time. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta have a high glycaemic index (GI) and can spike your blood sugar levels rather rapidly. While it may curb those hunger pangs, the influx of energy is likely to impact your sleep more negatively than you might realise.
While they won't give you nightmares (as the old wives' tale suggests), it's probably still best to avoid aged cheeses like blue cheese, Brie, Cheddar and Parmesan before going to bed. These cheeses also contain the amino acid tyramine, resulting in wakefulness – not exactly what you want after a long day. Pick a young cheese, such as cottage cheese, instead; these cheeses contain another amino acid, tryptophan, which promotes sleep.
If you suffer from discomforting gastric problems or indigestion, or you're particularly sensitive to chilli peppers, you'd be best off avoiding spicy food before bed. There are several reasons why these flavourful foods can cause issues at night, including heartburn and acid reflux. Plus, studies have linked capsaicin – the active ingredient in chillies and cayenne peppers – to sleep loss due to their body temperature–altering qualities.
You might want to rethink that late night drive-thru order if you’re hoping to get some good shut-eye. While it’s nice as an occasional treat, fast food is known for being heavily processed – and studies of children and adolescents have linked it with poor sleep. No matter your age, curbing your intake of fast food could see you enjoying a more blissful snooze.
You might want to steer away from your favourite childhood cereal before you hit the hay; it’s likely laced with sugar, and high in artificial flavours and colours, which will do nothing to help you sleep. Sadly, a lot of the major cereal brands aimed at children contain excessive sugars and other undesirable ingredients – so it’s best to check the label and swap to a healthier alternative before devouring a bedtime bowlful.
It's always tempting to snap off a couple of squares from a chocolate bar in the evening, but it's a habit that might do you more harm than good. Bars of milk or white chocolate usually pack a hefty amount of sugar, while dark chocolate typically contains a higher percentage of caffeine – neither of which are ideal before bed. Not only that, but dark chocolate also contains theobromine (a heart rate–quickening stimulant). Our advice? Keep those late-night snacks to a minimum!
According to Drinkaware UK, as little as one drink can affect our sleep patterns. On average, our bodies take an hour to process just one unit of alcohol – and the more we drink, the longer it’ll take. To get a good night's rest, we should allow our bodies plenty of time to process any alcohol we've drunk. Drinking alcohol is also said to send us into a deep slumber too quickly, reducing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and resulting in a less refreshed snooze. Plus, booze is a diuretic, increasing the need for night-time bathroom trips.
Foods high in refined sugars and artificial sweeteners – including sweets and candy bars – can play havoc with your blood sugar levels. We're all aware of the effects too much sugar can have on our bodies, but consuming it too close to bedtime can seriously disrupt our natural sleepiness. Plus, less sleep at night could lead to you needing to eat more energy-boosting foods during the day.
It’s no secret that fizzy drinks usually come loaded with sugar, sweeteners and caffeine – and little else. All of your favourites, from Coca-Cola and Pepsi to Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew, could be causing you to stay awake until the early hours, leaving you feeling groggy (and needing a further sugar and caffeine boost) the next morning. It’s best to avoid fizzy drinks after 4pm, as it can take up to six hours for the caffeine they contain to leave the body.
Eating foods that are high in fats, from deep-fried dishes to processed snacks, is likely to lead to a bad night’s sleep. These foods can have a number of negative effects on our bodies, including causing acid reflux, spiking blood sugar levels and prompting digestive problems. The occasional indulgence is fine, but reducing your overall intake could result in a more peaceful slumber.
The clue is in the name here. Packed with sugars, sweeteners and caffeine, energy drinks are among the worst liquids to consume before bedtime. While they can be useful in providing a boost when you’re low on energy, they can have a negative effect on sleep if drunk too late in the day. Besides being stacked with sugars, many energy drinks also contain high levels of caffeine, which can take up to six hours to leave the body.
Consuming up to 400mg of caffeine a day can have a positive effect on our bodies, increasing our alertness and concentration. However, it can take up to six hours for caffeine to leave the body, meaning that a post-4pm coffee break could have night-time repercussions. For reference, an average cup of coffee contains up to 100mg of caffeine, while a cup of black or green tea has up to 50mg. Consumed in the evening, all of these drinks can have a detrimental impact on our sleep – not just because caffeine is a stimulant, but also because it has a diuretic effect.