DAY 9

Hand holding a glass of water with text about sleep.

Key takeaways

Avoid caffeine in the afternoon.

Take multivitamins in the morning.

Skip alcohol 3 hours before bed.

Don’t eat 2 hours before sleep.

Hydrate during the day, not right before bed.

If you’ve been struggling with sleep, it’s time to take a closer look at what you’re putting into your body. You may not realize it, but your food, drink, and sleep aids could be influencing your sleep quality—sometimes for the worse. While we’re sure you’ve heard some of these before, it’s always a good idea to reassess your habits and make sure you’re not unintentionally sabotaging your sleep.

Hands holding a glass of water with text about sleep.

Key takeaways

Avoid caffeine in the afternoon.

Take multivitamins in the morning.

Skip alcohol 3 hours before bed.

Don’t eat 2 hours before sleep.

Hydrate during the day, not right before bed.

Gradient horizontal line from blue to purple on white background.

Caffeine—It’s Not Just About Staying Awake

Caffeine is probably the first thing that comes to mind when people talk about sleep disruptions. Some folks can enjoy a cup of coffee at night and still fall asleep just fine, while others are wide awake all night if they have it past noon. The truth is, even if you don’t feel its effects immediately, caffeine harms sleep quality and prevents you from entering the deep, restorative stages of sleep. Even if you perceive that you fall asleep and stay asleep fine, caffeine too close to bedtime reduces regenerative deep sleep. So, try cutting it off in the afternoon to avoid it messing with your slumber.

Other Common Sleep Saboteurs

Multivitamins: These can energize you, especially if they contain B vitamins or ingredients like ginseng. Take them in the morning to avoid disrupting your sleep later in the day.
Alcohol: While it may make you feel sleepy, alcohol reduces the quality of your sleep. If you want to sleep well, it’s best to avoid alcohol at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Eating: Overeating or eating too close to bedtime can interfere with your sleep. Try to avoid meals for at least 2 hours before you sleep.
Water: Staying hydrated is important, but drinking too much right before bed can lead to waking up during the night to use the bathroom. Keep water near your bed but aim to drink enough throughout the day so you’re not overhydrated at night.

Diagram showing the sleep nutrition cycle with arrows and text.

"Graphic explaining the relationship between nutrition and sleep quality."Paul Stokes Health & Fitness Blog, https://paulstokes.com.au/sleep-vs-nutrition-how-diet-affects-your-sleep-quality/. Accessed December 18, 2024.

Melatonin—Not Always the Answer

Many people turn to melatonin supplements as a sleep aid. While it can help, it’s easy to become dependent on it or take too much, leading to side effects like headaches or daytime drowsiness. Also, the jury is still out on whether taking melatonin impacts your body's natural production of it. MDsleep doesn’t include melatonin for these reasons. Instead, a natural way to optimize melatonin production is by getting sunlight during the day for at least 30 minutes. If this is not practical for you, another solution is to use a 10,000 lux light therapy lamp.

Action items

Think about your daily routine—when do you have your last caffeinated drink? Are you consuming alcohol or taking a multivitamin in the evening? Could adjusting your intake of food, drink, and sleep aids help improve your sleep quality? Take a moment today to assess your habits and make small adjustments for better sleep.