Before retiring for the night, many individuals consider indulging in a late-night snack or beverage. However, Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian and assistant professor in the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery, emphasizes the importance of being mindful about what we consume late at night, particularly caffeine-laden items, due to their potential health impacts.
"From a sleep standpoint, you shouldn't eat a big meal at 8 p.m. if you plan to go to bed at 9 p.m. If you are sensitive to caffeine, I would say to stop drinking it around noon," Anding advised. "Drinking caffeine before bed will impact your sleep. The average person takes about 10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep. If you have caffeine in your system or are sensitive to it, this amount of time can double. Caffeine has a half-life of up to 4.5 hours, so a safe bet is to avoid caffeine after noon."
She further noted that caffeine is not only present in coffee, tea and some soft drinks but can also be found in pre-workout beverages consumed before gym sessions.
Anding clarified that while eating a heavy meal before bed may not necessarily lead to weight gain, it could affect blood flow and disrupt sleep/wake cycles.
"Having a lot of food in your stomach before bed can redirect blood flow to your gut to digest the food, meaning there is less blood flow going to your brain. You need that blood flow to your brain to make sure you go into the different sleep stages," she explained.
She acknowledged that late-night eating and drinking habits vary based on an individual's schedule; for instance, those working night shifts or athletes returning home late from games would have different routines compared with those who work standard office hours.
For those needing something before bedtime, Anding recommended light and easily digestible foods such as berries, Greek yogurt or an apple with peanut butter. She cautioned against traditional snack foods like chips or ice cream.
Regarding beverages, she suggested alternatives to water that are caffeine-free, such as milk or sparkling water. For those who enjoy the taste of coffee or tea before bed, she proposed considering decaffeinated versions. "Although decaffeinated isn't always 100 percent caffeine-free, there is significantly less caffeine," Anding concluded.
