Does eating cheese before bed help sleep?
James Austin
Updated on April 02, 2026
Does eating cheese before bed help sleep?
The protein in cheese provides sleep-inducing tryptophan, while the carbs in crackers may help you fall asleep faster.
How does cheese affect sleep?
Reach for Tryptophan-Rich Foods Dairy foods contain tryptophan, which is a sleep-promoting substance.
What food is good before bed?
Here are the 9 best foods and drinks you can have before bed to enhance your quality of sleep.
- Almonds. Almonds are a type of tree nut with many health benefits.
- Turkey. Turkey is delicious and nutritious.
- Chamomile tea.
- Kiwi.
- Tart cherry juice.
- Fatty fish.
- Walnuts.
- Passionflower tea.
Will cheese keep you awake at night?
Foods containing tyramine (bacon, cheese, ham, aubergines, pepperoni, raspberries avocado, nuts, soy sauce, red wine) might keep you awake at night. Tyramine causes the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.
What is a good snack before bed?
Whole, minimally processed foods like berries, kiwis, goji berries, edamame, pistachios, oatmeal, plain yogurt and eggs make easy, tasty and healthy late-night snacks. Many of these foods even contain sleep-supportive compounds, including tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, magnesium and calcium.
Should you eat banana before bed?
Bananas. Bananas are a great food all-round, but if you usually eat a banana for breakfast, you might want to think about enjoying this exotic fruit before bed instead. They are one of the best foods for sleep, due to their high levels of magnesium which relax the muscles and calm the body.
What should I eat before bed to dream?
You might even find yourself dreaming of a juicy burger or cupcake! Try enjoying a light snack before bed like a banana, nuts or peanut butter and crackers to counter this effect. Skip fatty and spicy foods which may lead to indigestion.
What is best fruit to eat before bed?
1. Cherries. Cherries are known for being one of the best foods for sleep as they naturally contain melatonin. Snacking on cherries or drinking cherry juice can help promote longer, deeper sleep.
What happens if you eat Cheshire cheese before bed?
Of all the cheeses eaten, Cheshire cheese led to a peaceful, night’s sleep without any dreams at all. So, if you want a peaceful night’s sleep with no interruptions, this is the cheese for you. So does eating cheese before bedtime give you nightmares? No it doesn’t. Well at least according to research by The British Cheese Board it doesn’t.
What are the health effects of eating late at night?
One of the health effects of eating late at night is the risk of GERD. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is an uncomfortable experience. It’s when food contents in the stomach get back up into the esophagus.
Why does cheese make you feel good at night?
Researchers hypothesize that this is due to an abundance of an amino acid called tryptophan found in cheese, which your body uses to produce the feel-good hormone serotonin that helps regulate mood. This is also what makes you feel calm and able to drift off to sleep at night.
Why do I have bad dreams when I Eat Cheese?
For argument’s sake, though, let’s explore whether there is anything in cheese that could promote bad dreams. Eating heavy meals with a high fat content late at night can give you indigestion, which in turn disturbs your sleep.
What happens to your body when you eat cheese before bed?
Calcium can even affect the nerve fibers in the brain, so it is not just your body that starts to relax after you eat cheese. Eating cheese before bed might even help prevent any uncomfortable tossing and turning from hunger. A good snack before bed, which may prove surprising to some, is cheese and crackers.
Is it OK to eat cheese left out overnight?
If you’re still squeamish about leaving cheese out at room temperature, or eating cheese that’s been left out overnight, stick with hard cheeses.
Can you eat cheese at night and have nightmares?
So, incomplete as the evidence is, there is no solid proof that eating cheese at night causes nightmares. What we can say with more certainty is that if you eat immediately before going to bed, or have over-eaten, then indigestion might give you a restless night. But it could be the case that a little cheese might even help you sleep more soundly.
Is it bad to eat cottage cheese at night?
Stick to a single serving, which is 4 ounces of cottage cheese and 1 ounce of all other cheeses. Besides the fat in cheese keeping you up at night, eating too much of it is unhealthy.