What you eat—and when you eat it—can significantly impact your sleep quality. Some foods contain compounds that naturally promote relaxation and sleep, while others can disrupt your rest. Understanding the connection between nutrition and sleep can help you make dietary choices that support better nights.
Foods That Promote Better Sleep
Cherries and Cherry Juice
Tart cherries are one of the few natural food sources of melatonin. Studies have shown that drinking tart cherry juice can increase melatonin levels and improve sleep duration and quality. The Montmorency variety has been particularly well-studied.
How to use: Drink a glass of tart cherry juice about an hour before bed, or eat a handful of fresh or dried tart cherries as an evening snack.
Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit has emerged as a surprising sleep superfood. Research shows that eating two kiwis an hour before bed can help you fall asleep faster and sleep longer. Kiwis contain serotonin, antioxidants, and folate—all of which may contribute to better sleep.
In one study, participants who ate two kiwifruit one hour before bed for four weeks fell asleep 42% faster and slept 13% longer. They also reported better subjective sleep quality. Try adding kiwi to your evening routine!
Fatty Fish
Salmon, mackerel, sardines, and other fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Both nutrients help regulate serotonin, which plays a role in sleep. Studies suggest that people who eat fatty fish regularly tend to sleep better.
How to use: Include fatty fish in your dinner a few times per week. The sleep benefits accumulate over time.
Nuts
Many nuts support sleep through various mechanisms:
- Almonds and walnuts: Contain melatonin and magnesium, which promotes relaxation
- Pistachios: Exceptionally high in melatonin
- Brazil nuts: Rich in selenium, which may improve sleep quality
How to use: A small handful (about 30g) makes a good evening snack. Don't overdo it—nuts are calorie-dense.
Dairy Products
Milk, yoghurt, and cheese contain tryptophan and calcium. Tryptophan is an amino acid that the body converts to serotonin and then melatonin. Calcium helps the brain use tryptophan to manufacture melatonin.
The traditional "warm milk before bed" remedy may have some scientific basis after all—though the effect is likely modest.
Whole Grains
Brown rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat products promote sleep by:
- Increasing tryptophan availability in the brain
- Providing magnesium, which supports relaxation
- Helping stabilise blood sugar throughout the night
Bananas
Bananas contain tryptophan, magnesium, and potassium. The combination of these nutrients can help relax muscles and promote sleep. They also provide a modest amount of natural carbohydrates that help tryptophan reach the brain.
Many sleep-friendly foods share common nutrients: melatonin, tryptophan, magnesium, and B vitamins. The ideal bedtime snack combines a complex carbohydrate with a tryptophan-rich protein—like whole grain crackers with cheese, or banana with almond butter.
Foods and Drinks That Hurt Sleep
Caffeine
Caffeine is the most obvious sleep disruptor. It blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, preventing the sleepiness signal from getting through. What many people don't realise is how long caffeine's effects last.
Caffeine has a half-life of about 5-6 hours, meaning half of the caffeine from your 3pm coffee is still in your system at 9pm. For sensitive individuals, even morning caffeine can affect sleep.
Sources to watch:
- Coffee (including decaf, which contains some caffeine)
- Tea (black, green, and white)
- Soft drinks and energy drinks
- Chocolate
- Some pain medications and supplements
Most sleep experts recommend cutting off caffeine by noon or early afternoon. If you're having trouble sleeping, try eliminating caffeine after 12pm for two weeks and see if your sleep improves. Some people need to stop even earlier.
Alcohol
Alcohol is deceptive—it may help you fall asleep faster, but it significantly disrupts sleep quality. Alcohol suppresses REM sleep (important for mental restoration), causes more nighttime awakenings, and can worsen snoring and sleep apnoea.
Even moderate drinking close to bedtime leads to lighter, more fragmented sleep. Many people who drink regularly don't realise how much better they could sleep without it.
Spicy Foods
Spicy foods can cause indigestion, heartburn, and increased body temperature—all of which interfere with sleep. Capsaicin, the compound that makes chillies hot, can cause reflux when you lie down and may raise body temperature, working against the natural temperature drop needed for sleep.
High-Fat Foods
Fatty, greasy meals take longer to digest and can cause discomfort when you lie down. Research links high-fat diets with more fragmented, less restorative sleep. A heavy meal close to bedtime keeps your digestive system working when it should be resting.
Sugary Foods and Refined Carbs
While some complex carbohydrates can help with sleep, sugary foods and refined carbs can have the opposite effect. They cause blood sugar spikes and crashes that may wake you during the night. High sugar intake has been linked to lighter sleep and more nighttime awakenings.
Large Amounts of Fluids
Drinking too much of anything close to bedtime means you'll likely wake to use the bathroom. This is especially true as we age. Limit fluid intake in the 2-3 hours before bed, and make sure to use the bathroom right before sleep.
Timing Matters
When you eat is almost as important as what you eat:
Finish Eating Early
- Eat your last large meal at least 2-3 hours before bedtime
- If you need a bedtime snack, keep it small (under 200 calories)
- Avoid heavy, rich foods in the evening
Maintain Consistent Meal Times
Just as your sleep benefits from a consistent schedule, so does your eating. Regular meal times help regulate your circadian rhythm and metabolism.
Light Evening Meals
If possible, make dinner your lightest meal and eat your largest meal earlier in the day. This aligns with your body's natural rhythms and gives you time to digest before sleep.
Bedtime Snack Ideas
If you get hungry before bed, choose from these sleep-friendly options:
- A small bowl of whole grain cereal with milk
- Greek yoghurt with a handful of cherries
- Banana with a tablespoon of almond butter
- Whole grain crackers with cheese
- A small handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios)
- Warm milk or chamomile tea
- Two kiwifruit
- A small bowl of oatmeal with banana
The ideal bedtime snack combines a small amount of complex carbohydrates with a protein containing tryptophan. This combination helps tryptophan cross into the brain where it can be converted to sleep-promoting compounds. Keep portions small to avoid digestive discomfort.
Supplements vs. Food
While these foods contain sleep-promoting compounds, the amounts are generally modest compared to supplements. Eating kiwis or cherries is unlikely to have the same immediate effect as taking a melatonin gummy.
However, dietary approaches work cumulatively over time. A diet rich in sleep-supporting foods creates a foundation that makes supplements more effective when needed. Think of food as the baseline and supplements as targeted support.
Putting It Together: A Sleep-Friendly Eating Pattern
- Morning: Have your caffeine early if you need it; after noon, switch to water or herbal tea
- Afternoon: Include fatty fish, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables in your lunch
- Evening: Eat a light dinner at least 2-3 hours before bed, avoiding spicy, fatty, or heavy foods
- Before bed: If hungry, have a small sleep-friendly snack; avoid alcohol
- Throughout: Stay hydrated but taper fluid intake in the evening
The Bottom Line
Food is a powerful but often overlooked factor in sleep quality. By choosing foods that support sleep, avoiding those that disrupt it, and timing your meals wisely, you can create a nutritional foundation for better rest.
Combined with good sleep hygiene practices and, when needed, melatonin supplementation, dietary adjustments can meaningfully improve your sleep quality over time.