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Food and drink you should avoid for a good night’s sleep

Eat wisely, sleep well
31. Popcorn
30. Fermented sauces
29. Celery
28. Dried fruit
27. Milk
26. Raw onions
25. Citrus fruits
24. Tomato-based products
23. Broccoli
22. Ice cream
21. Too much liquid
20. Cucumber
19. Aged, fermented and smoked meat
18. Red meat
17. Aubergine
16. Salty foods
15. Butter
14. White bread
13. Aged and fermented cheese
12. Spicy food
11. Fast food
10. Sugary cereal
9. Kidney beans
8. Chocolate
7. Alcohol
6. Biscuits
5. Sweets
4. Fizzy drinks
3. Fatty foods
2. Energy drinks
1. Coffee
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Eat wisely, sleep well

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 surefire way to improve your chances of a restful night.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 31 foods you should never eat before bedtime, counting down to the most impactful of all.

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.

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Lottie Woodrow

17 March 2025

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