The common Christmas market foods playing havoc with your sleep

Who doesn’t love a Christmas market? Getting wrapped up in cosy hats and scarves, the smell of bratwurst and mulled wine in the air and spending time with loved ones is the perfect way to enjoy some festive cheer.

But what does all that rich food and indulgent drink do to our sleep patterns? Spoiler alert… It's not good. We’ve spoken to our resident sleep expert, Dr Sophie Bostock, to explain why…and what you can do to avoid tossing and turning all night.

Fatty, sugary, spicy & low-fibre foods that spoil your slumber

Christmas is a time for indulgence and enjoyment, but this can impact our sleep. Alongside late nights, full social schedules and the odd tipple, Christmas food is often high in fat, sugar and spice. As Dr Sophie explains:

“Foods that are low in fibre and high in sugar, fat, and spices, may affect your ability to fall and stay asleep.

“Spicy foods can cause indigestion, while sugary treats spike your blood sugar, which could lead to restless sleep later. High-fat content, which is common in some Christmas market snacks, slows digestion, potentially triggering discomfort that can keep you awake. Experiments found that evening meals containing more fats and sugar are followed by lighter, disrupted sleep. Over time, this can become a vicious cycle. Sleep deprivation sends our brain into survival mode—we’re more likely to crave junk food when we’re tired, and we produce more grehlin (the ‘hungry’ hormone) and less leptin (the ‘full’ hormone). Meanwhile, a recent study found that ultra-processed foods are linked with an increased risk of insomnia.”

So, what are some of the major festive food culprits causing our poor sleep?

Festive Food Sleep Culprits

Christmas and alcohol often go hand in hand. Whether you like a warming Glühwein, a refreshing Amaretto Fizz, a glass of bubbles or simply a nice, cold pint, alcohol also disrupts your sleep.

 

As Dr Bostock explains: "While it might make you feel drowsy at first, alcohol fragments your sleep cycles and can lead to snoring. That’s because it’s a sedative, and it relaxes the throat muscles which can make the airway more likely to collapse, and make snoring worse.”

More Santa, Less Snoring

Unfortunately, 3.75 million snorers in the UK regularly disturb their partners’ sleep and snoring has even caused the breakup of 1 in 6 couples. But it’s not just intolerance to blame for this—disturbed sleep, regardless of the cause, can have huge impacts on our health and wellbeing.

Sleep is essential for our bodies and our brains, helping store memories, get rid of toxins, process emotions, and repair damaged cells. But when we don’t get enough, our brains can activate your fight or flight stress response which can lead to feelings of anxiety, tension and irritability. Dr Bostock adds that couples who are sleep-deprived are more likely to argue.

So what can you do to limit your snoring?

Embrace Natural Snoring Remedies

Some natural, lifestyle-related snoring remedies can work well:

• Maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the severity of snoring. While people of all weights and sizes snore, more weight around your neck and throat can make your airway more likely to collapse during the night.
• Staying hydrated can help prevent secretions in your nose and soft palate from becoming sticky, reducing the chances of snoring.
• Stop smoking and reduce alcohol intake. Both can make snoring worse, alongside other negative health impacts.
• Sleeping on your side can help keep your airways open during the night and reduce snoring. Specialist side-sleeper pillows can also help keep you comfy during the night.
• Herbal products, such as those that contain ginger, turmeric or peppermint, can have anti-inflammatory, antibiotic or antiseptic qualities that may help keep snoring to a minimum.
• Elevating your head may also help keep your airways open during the night. You can do this by buying an adjustable bed or using additional pillows.

Improving Our Christmas Sleep Quality

Luckily, all is not lost. We can still enjoy our festive fun without feeling too groggy and tired the next day. Avoiding or limiting certain foods can be a great way to maintain your sleep quality through Christmas.

Dr Bostock suggests:

“Going easy on alcohol should help your sleep quality, but if you are planning on drinking, try to stop at least a few hours before bedtime. Similarly with food—while small, healthy, and slow energy-release snacks like wholewheat crackers or hummus before bed can kerb hunger, eating large meals or overly sugary, fatty and high-carb treats too close to bedtime can cause acid reflux and disturbed sleep. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night, and since 7:33am is the average wakeup time in the UK, you should have better quality sleep if you stop eating before 8:00pm.”

However, we don’t want to sound like the Grinch, and “foods that are richer in fibre and protein are associated with more time in deep sleep.”

Fruits like pineapples and cherries promote melatonin (a sleep hormone). Bananas are rich in magnesium and potassium, which help your muscles relax and promote better sleep, while apples contain natural sugars and fibre to help stabilise blood sugar. Avocados are also rich in fibre and potassium.

Better still, good ol’ fashioned turkey is thought to contain amino acids that promote melatonin, while salmon and other fatty fish are rich in vitamin D and Omega-3. With that in mind, what are some other sleep-safe Christmas treats?

Bensons for Beds has collated Christmas recipes that are rich in ingredients like these, including:
 

• Why not try this yogurt bark recipe from BBC Food as a fruity, festive snack or dessert? The high tryptophan availability in ingredients like yogurt is thought to improve sleep.
• This Christmassy baked salmon recipe from BBC Good Food is topped with cranberries and pistachios. Fatty fish like salmon is rich in vitamin D as well as Omega 3, which is associated with better, less-disturbed sleep.
• The hero ingredient in this side dish recipe from Heidi’s Home Cooking is the humble chickpea (a type of legume), and the cherries mixed in give it a festive feel. Studies show that bigger servings of legumes have a significant improvement in sleep efficiency, while cherries promote melatonin.

Enjoying Christmas this year doesn’t have to be about what you’re missing out on. But by limiting rich foods and indulgent drinks, you might find you get better sleep and you can enjoy it even more. After all, you need to get to sleep early on Christmas Eve otherwise Santa might not stop by.