Exploring the strange relationship between food and rest.
Have you ever had one of those nights where you can’t switch off - even though you’re exhausted? You lie there, eyes open, brain buzzing, wondering if it was the coffee, the stress, or maybe that “innocent” post-dinner snack. Lately, I’ve been starting to suspect that food might be playing a bigger role in our sleep than we think.
People love to talk about sleep hygiene - the dark room, the no-phone rule, the ideal bedtime - but not nearly enough about what’s actually happening on our plates. The more I read (and honestly, the more I experiment), the more I realise that what you eat in the hours before bed might quietly decide how well you sleep.
The Foods Everyone Swears Help - and What Happened When I Tried Them
I kept hearing that tart cherries were the holy grail of “sleep foods” because they’re naturally rich in melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to rest. So I gave it a go - a small glass of cherry juice after dinner. To my surprise, it actually made me feel a little sleepier around 9 p.m. But because it’s still sugary, I tried having it earlier, around 4 or 5 p.m., and that seemed to work better.
Bananas were another popular suggestion. Apparently, the magnesium and potassium help relax your muscles and calm your nervous system. It makes sense- magnesium is often found in sleep supplements. I’ve used magnesium powder before (it worked for me, but not for my stepmum), so maybe it really depends on how your body absorbs it. Either way, a banana before bed feels like a friendlier experiment than a pill.
Wholegrains are supposed to be useful too, because they help your body take up tryptophan - an amino acid that turns into serotonin and melatonin. So I started swapping out my late-night snacks for a slice of wholegrain toast or a tiny bowl of oats. It’s comforting, and it seems to stop that restless, fidgety feeling that sometimes hits after dinner.
And then there are nuts and seeds - almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds - small things packed with magnesium and healthy fats. They don’t make you drowsy on the spot, but they feel grounding, like your body recognises them as “wind-down fuel.”
Herbal tea, of course, is the classic pre-bed ritual. Chamomile is the cliché for a reason, but lemon balm and peppermint work too - all caffeine-free, all quietly relaxing. Even the act of sipping something warm feels like a cue to slow down.
When Food Works Against You
For every sleep-friendly food, there’s another one quietly plotting against you. Caffeine is the obvious culprit, but it hides in more places than you’d think - chocolate, green tea, even “energy” snacks. The half-life of caffeine can stretch up to eight hours, so that 2 p.m. flat white might still be humming through your bloodstream when you’re trying to fall asleep at 10. I’ve started cutting off coffee before 11 a.m., and the difference is real.
Then there are the spicy, greasy, or heavy dinners. I love a good curry or pizza night as much as anyone, but they can really backfire at bedtime. When your body’s still digesting, it’s not in rest mode. You can feel it - that uncomfortable mix of full and tired, like your body’s multitasking badly.
And alcohol - the great deceiver. It can make you feel sleepy, but it shatters your REM sleep and wakes you up in the early hours. The same goes for sugary snacks. They spike your blood sugar, crash it, and sometimes jolt you awake just when your body’s trying to settle. Watching Netflix with a bowl of lollies feels harmless, but I’ve started noticing how those nights always lead to the worst sleep.
It’s Not Just What You Eat - It’s When
Timing might be the real secret. If you finish eating two or three hours before bed, you give your body the space to shift gears from digestion to rest. But if you’re genuinely hungry later on, a small snack - a banana, some oats, or a few wholegrain crackers - won’t sabotage your sleep.
I’ve been experimenting with what a “sleep-smart” day of eating looks like. Coffee before 11. The heavier meals at lunch. Lighter dinners with plenty of veggies. If I’m having something rich - like pizza - I try it at lunch with a salad, not at 8 p.m. It’s not about restriction; it’s about rhythm. Eating in a way that helps your body wind down naturally.
Tracking What Actually Works for You
The most surprising thing about all this? Everyone’s different. What knocks one person out might make another feel wired. So rather than memorising a list of “good” and “bad” foods, I started treating it like a personal experiment.
For a week, try keeping a little sleep diary - jot down what you ate in the evening, when you ate it, and how you slept. You’ll start to see patterns. Maybe it’s caffeine. Maybe it’s sugar. Maybe it’s just the timing. But once you spot the connection, it’s a game-changer.
A Little Extra Help Never Hurts
Food’s just one part of the puzzle, of course. If you’re doing all the right things and still struggling to switch off, there are other tools that can help. White noise & blackout sleep masks, a consistent bedtime routine - they all teach your body that it’s safe to rest.
If you’re curious about building your own “sleep setup,” you can explore some of our favourite sleep essentials here. Pair those with your new food experiments, and you might just find your rhythm.
