Food & Sleep: How What You Eat Affects Your Night’s Rest 😴

We all know that caffeine and late-night snacks can ruin our sleep—but did you know that what you eat (and when you eat it) has a huge impact on how well you sleep? The right foods can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, while the wrong foods can leave you tossing and turning all night.

First, let’s talk about foods that help you sleep:

• Foods with Tryptophan: Tryptophan is an amino acid that your body converts into serotonin (a mood booster) and then melatonin (the hormone that regulates sleep). Good sources include turkey, chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, bananas, oats, and nuts (almonds, walnuts). Try a bowl of oatmeal with banana before bed—perfect for sleep!
• Cherries (Especially Tart Cherries): Tart cherries are one of the few natural sources of melatonin. Studies show that drinking tart cherry juice can help you fall asleep faster and get more deep sleep. You can also eat fresh or dried cherries as a pre-bed snack.
• Warm Milk: There’s a reason your grandma told you to drink warm milk before bed! Milk has tryptophan, and the warmth is calming—it helps your body relax. If you’re lactose intolerant, try warm almond milk.
• Complex Carbs: Whole grains (oats, quinoa) and sweet potatoes help your body absorb tryptophan better. Avoid refined carbs (cookies, candy)—they cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, which disrupt sleep.

Now, foods to avoid before bed (at least 2-3 hours before):

• Caffeine: Coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate all have caffeine, which stays in your system for 6-8 hours. A cup of coffee at 2 PM can still affect your sleep at 10 PM!
• Spicy, Greasy, or Heavy Foods: Foods like pizza, fried chicken, and spicy wings are hard to digest. They can cause heartburn and keep your body working overtime, making it hard to fall asleep.
• Alcohol: Alcohol may make you drowsy at first, but it disrupts deep sleep (the most restorative kind). You’ll wake up more often during the night and feel tired in the morning.
• Large Meals: Eating a big dinner right before bed can make you feel uncomfortable and bloated. Aim to finish eating 2-3 hours before you go to sleep.

Other sleep-friendly eating habits:

• Stay hydrated (but not too much): Drink water throughout the day, but avoid drinking a lot before bed—you don’t want to wake up to use the bathroom!
• Eat regular meals: Skipping meals or eating at irregular times can disrupt your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock), which affects sleep.
• Avoid late-night snacking: If you’re hungry before bed, choose a small, sleep-friendly snack (like a handful of cherries or a cup of warm milk)—not a big bowl of ice cream.

💡 Pro Tip: Keep a sleep-food journal. Write down what you eat and how well you sleep each night. You’ll start to see patterns—like how spicy food makes you toss and turn, or how oatmeal helps you sleep like a baby!