Expert shares 11 foods you need to avoid before bed for better sleep

Tossing and turning when trying to get to sleep? The food and drink you’ve consumed that evening could well be to blame. Most adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep each night, according to the NHS. And while work stress, relationship woes or social media may keep you awake, it’s worth considering the impact of meals and snacks too. If you’re consistently struggling to get forty winks, you could face a whole host of issues from increased anxiety to a loss of productivity (Picture: Getty Images)

So, how can you prep your body for rest and reduce the risk of insomnia? Having massive spicy dinners late in the evening or raiding the cupboard for a cheeky midnight snack is unlikely to help. Daniel Herman, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) qualified nutritionist, SAQ Coach and founder of Bio-Synergy.uk, has shared with Metro.co.uk the foods you should avoid for a better night’s sleep (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It’s essential to pay attention to your body and identify which foods trigger symptoms, particularly if you’re prone to acid reflux,’ Daniel explains. ‘Avoiding heavy meals and large snacks close to bedtime can help promote better sleep quality’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Chocolate

Unfortunately for everyone with a sweet tooth, you should avoid eating chocolate late at night if you plan on sleeping. ‘Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, which can stimulate the production of stomach acid and relax the lower oesophagus sphincter, allowing acid to reflux into the oesophagus' (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Onions and garlic

They’re common additions in a variety of dishes to add an extra oomph of flavour. But ‘these foods can cause bloating and increase gastric acid secretion contributing to acid reflux symptoms,’ warns Daniel (Picture: Getty Images)

Oranges and grapefruits

We all know the importance of getting our five-a-day to get nutrients, with some researchers even suggesting we should be aiming for 10-a-day. But it’s best to get as much eaten as early in the day as possible. This rule applies to all citrus fruits because of their acidic nature, Daniel says, which can also trigger acid reflux symptoms (Picture: Getty Images)

Carbonated drinks

It’s probably best to put the fizzy drink can back in the fridge until the next day if you don’t want it to disrupt your sleep. ‘Carbonated beverages can increase stomach pressure and lead to bloating and acid reflux,’ the nutritionist explains (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Spicy food

A tongue-tingling curry sounds ideal late at night, but it can lead to discomfort if consumed too close to your bedtime because of acid reflux symptoms. ‘Spicy foods like curry can irritate the stomach lining and increase acid production,’ explains Daniel (Picture: Getty Images)

Alcohol

Although it may seem as though alcohol, like a glass of wine, may make you feel more relaxed at night, it will impact your sleeping pattern. ‘Alcohol can relax the lower oesophageal sphincter and increase stomach acid production, leading to acid reflux and disrupted sleep,’ Daniel explains (Picture: Getty Images)

Coffee and tea

According to the British Coffee Association, we drink an estimated 98 million cups of coffee every single day across the UK, which is staggering. Caffeine will not help you doze off to sleep because it’s a stimulant. So, just like how we’re not meant to drink coffee as soon as we wake up, Daniel says we shouldn’t have a cuppa before bed either (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Processed foods

Sugary treats, processed snacks and fast food may seem like the first thing you want to reach for when looking for a midnight snack. But while they should be eaten in moderation, this should be during the daytime. Junk food has been shown to negatively impact sleep quality and was linked to a whopping 32 negative health outcomes in another study this week (Picture: Getty Images)

When should we have our last meal and snack of the day?

Michelle McKenzie, an associate registered nutritionist who works at Shine Retreats, tells Metro.co.uk we should try to finish eating for the day around two or three hours before you plan on going to sleep. ‘Melatonin, the sleepy hormone, helps us to drift off and after eating, insulin (another hormone) is released which will compete with our melatonin production and therefore impact our sleep,’ she says (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

‘Our digestion process slows down at night so eating close to bedtime will impact our sleep quality, our gastrointestinal tract and can even lead to weight gain. Drinks such as alcohol in the evening and having caffeine too late in the afternoon can also affect how deeply we sleep’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Improving the chance of having a substantial rest this evening starts as early as lunchtime if you run to the coffee machine or a café at this time. ‘Caffeine has a quarter life of 12 hours, which means that if you have a cup of coffee at midday, a quarter of that caffeine is still swirling around your brain at midnight. Even if you fall asleep and stay asleep, caffeine will decrease the amount of deep sleep you get by up to 15-20% (Picture: Getty Images)

IOn the flipside, eating foods rich in tryptophan can be beneficial such as spirulina, pumpkin seeds, almonds, tofu, or turkey. Other foods that support melatonin include oats, banana and foods high in B vitamins such as B12.' Chamomile or lemon balm tea can also help you sleep, but Michelle warns: ‘Not to close to bedtime to avoid the overnight toilet trips!’ (Picture: Getty Images) This article was originally published in March 2024