The first rule of night feeding: don't eat too much.
MenExperts say eating before bed doesn't play a major role in weight gain, that the pre-nap snack can disrupt your sleep.
“I tell people not to eat anything three hours before bed if they can avoid it, especially a large meal,” says Joseph Murray, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic.
Murray says it takes about three hours for a normal person's stomach to break down food and transfer the partially digested results to the lower intestines. Climb into bed before your stomach has done its work, and sleep can interrupt that process.
“Instead of effectively grinding up the food, the stomach can switch to what we sometimes call its 'housekeeping' function, where it just tries to sweep everything away,” Murray explains. “It will dump solid or undigested food into the small intestine, making it difficult to break it all down and absorb it.”
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Murray says you may not be aware of this. But because your digestive system is still processing what you've eaten, your sleep can be disrupted even if you don't wake up.
"You might feel a little dizzy or tired the next day," he says, "but you can't attribute it to what you ate the night before."
He says a small snack before bed is acceptable. But some foods are more likely to cause problems than others.
Here's what to look out for - and what to avoid.
Don't eat: Chocolate
If you eat chocolate cake or cookies, you are probably consuming a lot of sugar.
While it's bad enough when it comes to your sleep, chocolate can also be a source of "hidden caffeine," Murray explains.
Although chocolate doesn't contain many of these substances, even a little caffeine can disrupt or stop the sleep-inducing chemical processes that happen in your brain and body before you go to bed, he says.
Erin Morse, R.D., chief clinical dietitian at UCLA Health, says that many teas — and even decaffeinated coffee — can also contain enough caffeine to keep you awake if you sip before bed.
Food: Banana
Bananas consist largely of quickly digestible carbohydrates. And speedy digestion is definitely your goal if you snack before bed, says Morse.
“Bananas are also a good source of magnesium, which helps calm stress hormones and can promote sleep,” says Morse.
Murray agrees that bananas are a safe choice.
Don't eat: Fatty foods
Dietary fat takes a long time to digest, Murray says. While that may be good news if you want to stay full between meals, this is exactly what you do NOT want before bed.
Milk, yogurt, avocado, nuts, ice cream and butter are all bad news, he says. Ditto any form of cooking or olive oil.
Perhaps worst of all: cheese.
“The guy who comes home late and eats a lot of pizza before he goes to bed is not going to help him sleep well that night,” he says.
Food: Whole grains
Carbohydrates eaten an hour or two before bed can help release serotonin, melatonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain that promote sleep, says Maxine Smith, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic.
She mentions 100 percent whole-grain crackers or bread and popcorn on the stove as healthy carbohydrate choices before bed.
Again, you don't want to go crazy. The more you eat, the more likely you are to toss and turn, she says.
Don't eat: Acidic foods
About 10 percent of younger men suffer from acid reflux, but many of them don't know it, says Murray.
“Common symptoms include a burning sensation in the back of your throat or in your chest,” he explains.
With reflux, the normal barrier that prevents stomach contents from bubbling up into your esophagus and throat does not work properly. And as you might expect, lying down makes the problem worse, he says.
Spicy or fried foods, as well as tomato-based sauces (think pizza again), are all very acidic, Smith adds. Take them off your pre-bed menu.
Food: eggs
If your stomach is growling, egg whites are a great way to satisfy it.
Eggs are a good source of protein, as well as food that your stomach should be able to process fairly quickly, says Murray. He says a scrambled egg can pass through your intestines faster than a hard-boiled egg.
Don't drink alcohol
Alcoholdisrupts your normal sleep rhythm. You know it. But it's worth repeating if you fancy a drink or three before bed.
“Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it prevents deep, healthy, restorative sleep later in the night,” says Smith.
She recommends stopping for at least a few hours before going outside.
“If you are going to drink alcohol, try to have it with dinner early in the evening,” says Murray. That way, when you hit the hay, it's long gone.
Food: Kiwi
A 2017 studyfrom Norway linked eating kiwi before bed to better sleep quality in a group of insomniacs.
“Because of some of the antioxidants in kiwifruit, including serotonin, eating them led to falling asleep faster and better sleep quality,” says Morse.
Both she and Smith say other fruits, including apples and berries, are healthy sources of carbohydrates that are also likely safe to eat before bed.
