Is What You're Eating Keeping You Up at Night?

A sleep expert talks to us about which foods might be disrupting your sleep.

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We've all been there: lying in bed, trying in vain to fall asleep, and deeply regretting that iced coffee we gulped down at 4pm.

It's no surprise that coffee can interfere with sleep, but other foods and drink can be just as, well, eye-opening. According to Dr. Michael Breus, a sleep specialist and author of several books on sleep, including The Power of When (Little, Brown and Company, September 2016), what we eat and drink can have a significant effect on our sleep routines. To protect your shut-eye, here are six habits to avoid:

Drinking (or Eating) Caffeine Less Than 8 Hours Before Bedtime

Some people can drink a shot of espresso after dinner and claim they don't feel the effect on their sleep. (I'd be up all night if I tried that one.) Dr. Breus explains that while everyone has different levels of caffeine sensitivity, it is a stimulant and thus can prevent our bodies from getting the deep sleep we need. It takes about 8 hours for caffeine to fully leave your system, so if you're aiming for a 10pm bedtime, you should stop consuming coffee, along with caffeine-containing teas and sodas, at 2pm.

Chocolate is believed by many to have an energizing effect, but although many chocolate desserts are made with coffee, chocolate itself does not contain caffeine. It does, however, contain theobromine, a compound that naturally occurs in the cocoa plant and produces stimulating effects similar to caffeine. Every kind of chocolate is different and it's hard to pinpoint how much each will affect your sleep but, generally, the darker the chocolate the more of a buzz it'll give you.

Eating Dinner Less Than 3 Hours Before Bedtime

Dr. Breus explains that one of the ways a person can protect their sleep is by eating on a consistent schedule. "Your gut has a circadian rhythm, and the more consistent you eat, the better it functions. Eating too close to bedtime can make it difficult for your body to sleep because that energy is being used to digest food." So if you need that bedtime snack, keep it small, and try not to eat it right before crawling between the covers.

Eating Anything Too Acidic (or that causes heartburn) at Dinner

When it comes to specific foods that might be triggers for sleeplessness, Dr. Breus says to watch out for anything that causes GERD (gastroesophageal reflux, aka heartburn), which can make it hard to get comfortable enough to sleep, since lying down can increase your chances of heartburn. Heartburn triggers can be different for different people, but generally speaking it's best to stay away from large quantities of anything too acidic, like grapefruit or tomatoes or pickles. High-fat foods can also be heartburn triggers.

Eating Anything Too Spicy at Dinner

Spicy foods are another possible heartburn trigger and, according to Dr. Breus, too much spice can also cause nightmares. So if you've been tossing and turning with heartburn or scary dreams, try staying away from that hot sauce at dinner.

The stuff of nightmares.

Photo courtesy of Kalustyan's
Eating Foods Containing Tyramine Before Bed

Tyramine is an amino acid found in fermented foods such as aged cheeses, cured meats, and soy sauce. It can increase brain activity and is potentially linked with sleeplessness. To be extra careful, you might want to avoid those late-night cheese-and-salami snacks.

Drinking Alcohol Less Than 3 Hours Before Bedtime

Although alcohol might make you feel tired, says Dr. Breus, it can keep you out of those restorative, deeper stages of sleep. Alcohol is also a diuretic, which means it increases dehydration. (A problem since, according to Dr. Breus, we already breathe out about 1 liter of water while sleeping.) For the best sleep, Dr. Breus recommends drinking one glass of water per alcoholic beverage, and stopping 3 hours before bedtime.