What to eat and what to skip for better sleep

If you’ve ever tossed and turned all night, you’re not alone. According to the CDC, one in three adults doesn’t get enough sleep on a regular basis. Living in Denver adds extra challenges that can disrupt your rest, like altitude, dry air, outdoor noise, and big temperature swings. At 1st Class Medical, we help people breathe easier and sleep better with devices like CPAP machines and oxygen concentrators. Still, the food and drink choices you make every day can have just as much impact.

So let’s break it down:

What should you eat and drink to support restful sleep—and what should you avoid if you want to stay asleep through the night?

Why Diet Matters for Sleep

Food isn’t just fuel; it’s information for your body. The nutrients you eat affect your hormones, brain chemicals, and sleep cycles. Just like a racecar needs the right gas, your body needs the right nutrients to support good sleep.

When sleep is already affected by things like altitude, health conditions such as sleep apnea, or everyday stress, your food and drink choices can either help you get better rest or make sleep even harder.

7 Foods & Drinks That Help You Sleep

Let’s start with the good stuff. These foods support melatonin production, muscle relaxation, and brain chemistry that promotes deep sleep.

1. Tart Cherries or Tart Cherry Juice

Tart cherries are one of the only natural food sources of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food showed that drinking tart cherry juice before bed improved both sleep duration and quality in older adults.

Denver Tip: Since Colorado has low humidity and people tend to lose more fluids through breathing (especially at night), tart cherry juice also helps hydrate you overnight.

2. Bananas

Bananas are rich in magnesium and potassium, minerals that help relax muscles and reduce nighttime cramps. They also contain vitamin B6, which helps your body convert tryptophan into serotonin and melatonin—key hormones for sleep.

3. Almonds or Almond Butter

Almonds contain magnesium, calcium, and healthy fats—all of which support nervous system regulation and muscle relaxation. A small handful before bed may help stabilize blood sugar and keep cortisol levels from spiking overnight.

4. Kiwi

Kiwis are surprisingly rich in serotonin, a precursor to melatonin. One study from Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating 2 kiwis one hour before bedtime increased sleep time by 13% and reduced wake time by 29%.

5. Oats or Whole Grain Cereal

Whole grains help your body release insulin, which lets tryptophan enter the brain more easily. Oats also have melatonin and B vitamins, so a small portion makes a smart late-night snack.

6. Herbal Teas (Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Valerian Root)

Herbal teas can have calming effects on the nervous system. Chamomile, in particular, contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which binds to certain brain receptors and may promote sleepiness.

7. Warm Milk or a Milk Alternative

There’s real science behind the old “warm milk before bed” advice. Milk contains tryptophan and calcium, both of which play roles in melatonin production. If you’re lactose intolerant, opt for fortified almond or oat milk with added calcium and vitamin D.

6 Foods & Drinks That Hurt Your Sleep

Now, let’s look at the sneaky culprits that can ruin your sleep, especially if you have them too close to bedtime.

1. Caffeine (Coffee, Soda, Energy Drinks, Chocolate)

This one’s obvious, but many people don’t realize how long caffeine stays in your system. Its half-life is about 5 to 6 hours, so if you have coffee at 3 p.m., half the caffeine could still be in your body at 9 p.m.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol might help you fall asleep faster, but it disrupts your REM cycle, causes more wake-ups, and can make sleep apnea worse. It also leads to dehydration, which is already a concern at Denver’s higher elevation.

3. Spicy Foods

Spicy meals can cause acid reflux, raise your body temperature, and make your body more alert, which is the opposite of what you want before bed.

Tip: Avoid spicy foods within 3 hours of bedtime, especially if you suffer from GERD or sleep apnea.

4. High-Sugar Snacks or Desserts

Eating sugar late at night can spike your insulin and cortisol, which may cause a crash around 2 or 3 a.m. This can wake you up and make it hard to fall back asleep. Sugar can also make restless leg syndrome worse, especially for people using oxygen therapy or with poor circulation.

5. Heavy Meals Before Bed

Eating a big meal can slow down digestion and make you feel bloated or uncomfortable when you lie down. This can lead to more snoring, indigestion, and sleep apnea episodes. Try to have dinner at least three hours before bed.

6. Aged or Fermented Foods (Cheese, Cured Meats, Soy Sauce)

These contain tyramine, an amino acid that can trigger the release of norepinephrine—a stimulant that can increase alertness. Not ideal before bed!

Special Considerations for High Altitude Residents

1. High Altitude Insomnia

Living at higher elevations—or even in areas with poor air quality—can sometimes cause shortness of breath, shallow sleep, or frequent night wakings. Eating foods rich in magnesium and iron, like leafy greens, lentils, and nuts, may help your body use oxygen more efficiently during sleep.

2. Dry Air & Dehydration

Colorado’s dry climate can lead to nighttime dehydration, which disrupts sleep. Avoid diuretics (like caffeine or alcohol) before bed, and consider a humidifier to keep nasal passages moist—especially if you’re using a CPAP or oxygen concentrator.

3. Outdoor Noise

While the U.S. is known for its diverse landscapes, many people across the country deal with urban noise, dry air, or restless nights. A high-protein bedtime snack—like Greek yogurt or peanut butter on whole grain toast—can help stabilize blood sugar and promote deeper, uninterrupted sleep.

Practical Tips: Putting It All Together

• Timing matters: Eat heavier meals earlier in the day. Have a light, sleep-supportive snack 30–60 minutes before bed if needed.
• Hydrate early: Drink most of your fluids earlier in the day to avoid nighttime trips to the bathroom.
• Establish a food-sleep routine: Try pairing the same snack and herbal tea each night to build an association with sleep.
• Avoid screens and stress: Food won’t help if you’re scrolling your phone all night. Create a wind-down routine with dim lights, light stretching, and calming music.

How 1st Class Medical Supports Better Sleep

At 1st Class Medical, we do more than provide oxygen therapy or CPAP equipment. We care about your whole sleep environment, including the choices you make outside of using your device. We’ve helped thousands of people across Colorado improve their sleep with:

• Home sleep apnea solutions (including portable CPAP options)
• Oxygen Solutions
• Educational resources like this to help you optimize your health naturally

Final Thoughts: Eat Well, Sleep Deep

Your sleep quality isn’t just about your mattress or your sleep tracker. It actually starts at the dinner table. What you eat and drink before bed can make a big difference in whether you wake up feeling refreshed or groggy.

So next time you’re reaching for a late-night snack, ask yourself:

“Is this going to help me sleep—or keep me up?”

If you’re still having trouble sleeping after making changes, reach out to 1st Class Medical. We can help you find out if conditions like sleep apnea or low oxygen at night are affecting your rest, and we offer solutions that can really help.

Let 1st Class Medical support you on your journey. When you sleep better, you breathe better, and when you breathe better, you live better. Call now: 1-800-520-5726