Sleep is the foundation of our mental and physical health, job performance and productivity and career success. Studies show that if you don’t get enough sleep, you’re at greater risk of depression, heart attack or stroke, and your risk of death from heart disease more than doubles. Without a good night’s sleep, you’re more likely to nod off at your desk, and you’re grumpier. It’s common knowledge that foods like caffeine, alcohol and sugary snacks cause sleep disruption. But the sleep experts have identified lesser-known sleep-disrupting foods that sabotage your sleep and derail happiness and career success.
Seven Foods That Sabotage Your Sleep
For many office employees, this season becomes a perfect storm of tempting foods, social pressures and stress, amplifying what experts are now calling “food noise.”If your brain could speak, it would tell you the foods it needs for maximum career performance and ample sleep. But since it can’t talk, I spoke by email with someone who can. Dylan Tollemache, co-founder and CEO at Onebed, told me that there are an unknown sleep disruptors. “Some seemingly innocent or even healthy foods could be silently stealing your Zzz’s, and they’re not the ones you’d expect.”
The sleep experts at Onebed identified seven foods that are touted as healthy that might be sneaking onto your plate and keeping you from the snooze time you need.
1. Dragonfruit: The Sugar Bomb in Disguise. “Dragonfruit might look like a sleep-friendly snack, but it’s anything but. This exotic fruit is loaded with magnesium and vitamin B6, nutrients that boost brain activity and cognitive function during the day. Combine that with its natural sugars, and you’ve got a fruit that keeps your brain in high gear instead of shifting into sleep mode. A beauty on your plate, but a beast for your bedtime.”
2. Protein Bars: The Overachieving Snack. “Protein bars are the ultimate multitaskers—great for workouts, terrible for winding down. Their dense amino acid profiles require significant digestion, forcing your metabolism to work overtime when it should be slowing down. That post-gym snack might be keeping your body in ‘go mode,’ directly competing with the chill-out signals needed for sleep.”
3. Kombucha: The Gut-Health Hero That Wakes You Up. “This fizzy drink might be a wellness favorite, but it’s no friend to your sleep. The fermentation process in kombucha creates tyramine—a compound that stimulates your nervous system—and trace amounts of caffeine. Together, they’re like a double punch to your relaxation. If you’re sensitive to these compounds, you’ll be lying awake wondering why your ‘healthy’ drink feels like a wake-up call in a bottle.”
4. Pickled Foods: Tangy Treats That Tinker with Your Sleep. “Pickles and other fermented foods are another unexpected disruptor. They’re packed with tyramine and histamines, which interfere with melatonin production—your body’s natural sleep hormone. If you’ve ever felt wired after a late-night snack of pickled veggies or kimchi, now you know why. These tangy troublemakers aren’t just tasty—they’re working against your body’s natural rhythm.”
5. Green Tea Ice Cream: A Dessert with a Dark Side. “It’s creamy, it’s delicious, and it’s surprisingly bad for bedtime. Green tea ice cream is a sneaky triple threat: caffeine, sugar and L-theanine. While L-theanine can be calming during the day, it interacts differently at night, overstimulating your brain when it should be winding down. Add refined sugar into the mix, and you’ve got a dessert that fuels mental chaos instead of peaceful dreams.”
6. Spirulina: The Superfood That Won’t Let You Rest. “Spirulina may be a superfood, but it’s a sneaky stimulant when it comes to sleep. Its high protein and amino acid content can trigger mild adrenal responses, subtly energizing your body instead of letting it relax. While it’s excellent for daytime energy and focus, consuming it too close to bedtime can turn your body into a metabolic buzz machine.”
7. Cured Meats: The Savory Sleep Saboteurs. “Salami, bacon and other cured meats might make a delicious snack, but they’re also loaded with tyramine. This compound is notorious for stimulating brain activity, and when combined with the protein density of cured meats, it’s a recipe for alertness instead of rest. They’re salty, they’re satisfying, but they’re definitely not your bedtime buddies.”
According to Tollemache, most people think they’re making healthy choices, but they’re accidentally sabotaging their sleep. “What’s interesting is how foods we consider ‘wellness heroes’—like kombucha and spirulina—can be total sleep disruptors,” he states. “It’s not about demonizing these foods but understanding that timing and individual biology matter. The real game-changer is realizing your late-night ‘health’ snack might be the reason you’re staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m.”
A ‘Pro Tip’ On Foods That Sabotage Your Sleep
Tollemache emphasizes that these seven foods aren’t villains. He refers to them as “misunderstood players in the sleep game.” He explains that their impact on your rest comes down to timing, how much you eat and your body’s unique response. The key, he says, is to avoid these sneaky disruptors at least four to five hours before bedtime. “Think of your diet as an extension of your bedtime routine—just like dimming the lights or switching off your screens, eating the right foods at the right time sets the stage for deep, uninterrupted sleep,” he points out.
Counting sheep won’t get you to the Land of Nod if you consume foods that sabotage your sleep. But Tollemache offers a Pro Tip. He suggests that you trust your body over the latest food trends. “Sleep isn’t just about cutting out the wrong foods—it’s about creating balance in everything you eat throughout the day,” he concludes. “Get your diet in sync with your sleep, and you’ll wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.”