How Your Diet Affects Your Sleep

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Author:

Martha McKittrick, RD, CDE

New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical College

Medically Reviewed On: September 20, 2001

As a registered dietitian, I see many clients who complain of fatigue due to poor sleep. If it is a chronic problem, I first tell them to check with their physician to rule out any medical causes. Once this has been done, I try to address lifestyle and/or dietary issues that may contribute to insomnia. By making some changes in your diet or lifestyle, you may be able to improve your sleep. I recommend the following guidelines:

Do not use alcohol to help you fall asleep. Although alcohol may initially induce sleep, once it wears off, the sleep tends to be fragmented.



Limit caffeine during the 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. Approximately 50% of the caffeine consumed at 7 PM remains in the body at 11 PM. Remember that caffeine is present in many different foods, beverages and medications. The following are some examples of common caffeine sources:
Coffee (5 oz. cup)
Brewed, drip method 60 - 180 mg caffeine
Instant 30 - 120 mg caffeine
Decaffeinated 1 - 5 mg caffeine
Tea (5 oz. cup)
Brewed 60 - 180 mg caffeine
Instant 25 - 50 mg caffeine
Iced (12 oz. Cup) 67 - 76 mg caffeine
Chocolate
dark/semisweet 1 oz. - 5 - 35 mg caffeine
Soft drinks
cola (12 oz.) 36 - 47 mg caffeine
Non-prescription drugs
Dexatrim 200 mg caffeine
No Doz 100 mg caffeine
Excedrin 65 mg caffeine

Limit smoking prior to bedtime, as nicotine is a stimulant.

Avoid heavy or spicy foods just prior to bed. These meals can interfere with sleep by causing heartburn.

If the hunger associated with an empty stomach keeps you from sleeping, try having a light snack such as crackers, cereal and milk, or yogurt before going to bed.

Limit liquids of any kind for at least 90 minutes before bedtime if the need to urinate wakes you up in the middle of the night. It takes about 90 minutes for the body to process liquids. This problem is especially common in older men.

Regular exercise can increase your odds of getting a good night's sleep. But avoid exercise within 3 hours prior to going to bed as this will boost alertness and have a negative effect on sleep. Studies have shown that exercising more than 3 to 6 hours before going to bed has the most positive effect on falling asleep and staying asleep.

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