← All healthy eating suggestionsHealthy eating guide

Better sleep

What and when you eat can affect how well you sleep. The biggest wins are usually cutting caffeine later in the day and avoiding heavy meals right before bed.

Enjoy more

  • A balanced dinner 2–3 hours before bed
  • Complex carbs at dinner: wholegrain rice, oats, sweet potato
  • Foods with magnesium: leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans
  • Kiwi fruit and tart cherries (some small studies suggest benefits)
  • Caffeine-free herbal tea, such as chamomile
  • Warm milk if you find it comforting

Limit

  • Caffeine after early afternoon (coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, dark chocolate)
  • Alcohol, which disturbs sleep later in the night
  • Large, spicy or fatty meals late in the evening
  • Lots of fluid in the hour before bed

A sample day

BreakfastEggs on wholegrain toast with spinach
LunchChicken and quinoa salad (last coffee before 2 pm)
SnackTwo kiwi fruit
DinnerBaked fish, sweet potato and greens, by 7–8 pm

Helpful tips

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General guidance for adults, not medical advice.