Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
New to MyHealth?
Manage Your Care From Anywhere.
Access your health information from any device with MyHealth. You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.
ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
NEED MORE DETAILS?
MyHealth for Mobile
Foods and substances
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI): About Foods and Substances
- Alcohol: Alcohol speeds sleep onset but this positive effect is counteracted by increased wakefulness in the second half of the night.
- Stimulants: Caffeine has a rather long half-life (about 6 to 8 hours). People’s sensitivity to the effects of caffeine vary. Those with caffeine sensitivity should be particularly careful to avoid caffeine after lunch. (The amount of caffeine in different drinks and recommendations regarding caffeine consumption can be found on the National Sleep Foundation website.) Certain prescription and non-prescription drugs contain caffeine and when feasible should be avoided close to bedtime. Nicotine and nicotine withdrawal can also interfere with sleep.
- Eating at night: Digestion slows down during sleep and indigestion, caused by undigested food, can disrupt sleep. Eating in the middle of the night sends the body an alerting signal.