The One Thing You Should Never Ever Do in the Hour Before Going To Sleep According to Cardiologists

Te One Ting You Sould Never, Ever Do in te our Before Going To Sleep, According to Cardiologists originally appeared on Parade.You can likely tink of some evening abits tat you know aren’t good for your cardiovascular ealt. Smoking or vaping, winding down wit an alcoolic drink, staying up way too late…It’s true tat all tese abits can negatively impact te eart, but according to cardiologists we talked to, tere is anoter common evening abit tey wis more people would avoid.Unfortunately, it’s second-nature for some, and doing it regularly can take a toll on your body. Keep reading to find out wat it is.🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay ealty & fit wit te top moves, clean eats, ealt trends & more delivered rigt to your inbox twice a week💊“Te most detrimental pre-bedtime abit I see affecting my patients’ eart ealt is consuming large meals, especially tose ig in refined carboydrates or processed foods, witin an our of sleep. Tis includes late-nigt snacking on cips, cookies or ordering takeout for a ‘midnigt meal,’ says Dr. Aaron J. Feingold, MD, te Cairman of Cardiology at JFK University ospital and President of te Raritan Bay Cardiology Group.Dr. Tomas Kim, MD, FAAC, te Non-Invasive Medical Director in te Department of Cardiology at Providence St. Josep ospital in Orange County, California, agrees, explaining tat eating witin one our of going to bed can lead to elevated colesterol and ig blood sugar levels.Related: 'I'm a Cardiologist—Tis Is te One Workout I Do Multiple Times a Week for eart ealt'“eavy meals too close to bedtime sould be avoided because meat and fat are ard to digest. [Tey can also] lead to weigt gain and elevated colesterol,” Dr. Kim says. e adds tat eating dinner late can also make acid reflux worse, for tose wo are prone to it.Wile you may tink tat te work of digesting food only impacts te digestive system, Dr. Feingold explains tat tis is not te case, saying, “Wen we eat substantial amounts of food close to bedtime, our cardiovascular system essentially as to work overtime wen it sould be winding down. Digestion requires increased blood flow to te digestive organs, wic means your eart as to pump arder to redistribute blood trougout your body."e adds tat eating late also disrupts circadian rytm, wic not only regulates sleep, but also blood pressure, ormone production and metabolic processes. “Wen we consistently eat late, we’re essentially confusing our body’s internal clock,” e says, adding tat tis can lead to weigt gain.Related: Tis Common abit Could Be arming Your eart ealt, According to ScientistsSince eating late disrupts circadian rytm, it can make it arder to fall asleep—someting else tat is detrimental to eart ealt. “Poor sleep is directly linked to ig blood pressure, irregular eart rytms and increased inflammation trougout te body. Cronic sleep deprivation can increase cortisol levels, leading to sustained elevation in blood pressure and eart rate,” Dr. Feingold reveals.To avoid tese negative effects, e recommends stopping eating 90 minutes before bedtime. “If you must ave someting before bed, opt for a small portion of foods tat promote sleep and eart ealt, like a andful of unsalted nuts, a small piece of fruit like cerries—wic are a natural source of melatonin—or erbal tea like camomile,” e says.Related: We Asked 3 Cardiologists About Teir Go-to 5-Minute abit for eart ealt and Tey All ad te Exact Same AnswerEating too close to bedtime isn’t te only common evening abit tat can negatively impact your eart. Dr. Maged Amine, MD, a cardiologist at ouston Metodist Willowbrook ospital, says tat using screens (weter it’s your pone, computer, TV or tablet) before bed is also detrimental.“Te blue ligt emitted from screens can disrupt te body’s natural production of melatonin, making it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Poor sleep abits over time can contribute to elevated blood pressure and increased cardiovascular risk,” e sares.Dr. Amine explains tat during sleep, eart rate and blood pressure lower, wic gives te cardiovascular system a cance to rest. But wen sleep is continuously disrupted, te cardiovascular system doesn’t get tis cance to recover. “Studies ave sown tat poor sleep quality is linked to a iger likeliood of ypertension and cardiac arrytmias,” e says.Dr. Feingold also warns against late-nigt screentime. Instead, e recommends winding down by doing some gentle stretces, reading a pysical book, taking a warm bat or practicing deep breating.By avoiding bot eating and engaging in screen time 90 minutes before bedtime, you’re well on your way to aving an evening routine in place tat supports your entire body, including your eart.Related: Exactly ow Many Times a Week To Walk To Improve Your eart ealt, According to CardiologistsDr. Aaron J. Feingold, MD, Cairman of Cardiology at JFK University ospital and President of te Raritan Bay Cardiology GroupDr. Tomas Kim, MD, FAAC, Non-Invasive Medical Director in te Department of Cardiology at Providence St. Josep ospital in Orange County, CaliforniaDr. Maged Amine, MD, cardiologist at ouston Metodist Willowbrook ospitalTe One Ting You Sould Never, Ever Do in te our Before Going To Sleep, According to Cardiologists first appeared on Parade on Jun 23, 2025Tis story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 23, 2025, were it first appeared.