Are Beans Okay to Eat at Night? Your Guide to Better Sleep

October 9, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Sleep Foundation, legumes like beans contain tryptophan and other nutrients that can help promote restful sleep. However, some people experience digestive issues like gas and bloating after eating them. So, are beans okay to eat at night, or are they a recipe for a restless evening?

Quick Summary

Consuming beans at night can support sleep through beneficial nutrients, but timing and preparation are key to preventing digestive upset from fiber and indigestible sugars. Learn how to manage the effects.

Key Points

Digestive Comfort is Key: Beans are high in fiber and complex sugars (oligosaccharides) that can cause gas and bloating, potentially disrupting sleep.
Choose Easy-to-Digest Beans: Opt for smaller varieties like lentils, mung beans, and black-eyed peas, which are less likely to cause gas than larger beans like kidney or lima beans.
Prep Method Matters: Soaking dried beans overnight and rinsing canned beans reduces the indigestible sugars responsible for gas. Cooking with herbs like cumin or kombu also helps.
Eat Earlier in the Evening: To avoid indigestion, consume beans at least 2 to 3 hours before bed, giving your digestive system time to process the meal.
Introduce Beans Gradually: If your diet is low in fiber, start with small portions and increase slowly to allow your body to adjust to the higher fiber content.
Listen to Your Body: Individual tolerance varies. While some studies suggest beans can improve sleep quality through nutrients like tryptophan and magnesium, it's important to find what works best for you.

The Dual Effect of Beans on Your Night

Beans and other legumes are nutritional powerhouses, packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They offer a range of benefits for overall health, and some studies even suggest a link between fiber intake and improved sleep quality. However, their high fiber content and presence of certain complex carbohydrates can make them difficult for some people to digest, potentially leading to discomfort that disrupts sleep. The key lies in understanding the balance between their benefits and challenges.

The Sleep-Supporting Potential

On the one hand, beans contain several compounds that are beneficial for sleep.

Tryptophan: This amino acid is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, hormones that regulate sleep and wake cycles. Soybeans and chickpeas are particularly good sources.
Magnesium and B Vitamins: Many beans contain magnesium, a mineral that helps calm the nervous system and is often associated with improved sleep. B vitamins, such as B6, niacin, and folate, also play a role in brain health and have been used to address insomnia.
Complex Carbohydrates: Fiber-rich whole foods, including beans, can help induce drowsiness by encouraging the production of insulin, which helps neurons process tryptophan.
Blood Sugar Regulation: An evening meal of brown beans was shown to beneficially affect metabolic risk factors and appetite-regulating hormones the next morning, lowering blood glucose and insulin response. This effect could contribute to a more stable night's rest.

The Digestive Downside

For others, a late-night bean meal can be a source of significant discomfort. The primary culprits for gas and bloating are the high levels of oligosaccharides (like raffinose) and fiber.

Indigestible Sugars: The human digestive system lacks the enzyme (alpha-galactosidase) needed to break down oligosaccharides properly. As a result, these sugars travel undigested to the large intestine where bacteria ferment them, producing gas as a byproduct.
High Fiber Content: Beans are exceptionally high in fiber. While a gradual increase helps the body adapt, a sudden large intake can overwhelm the system, leading to bloating and gas.

How to Eat Beans at Night and Avoid Discomfort

For those who wish to enjoy beans in the evening without digestive issues, preparation is paramount. These steps can significantly reduce the gas-producing compounds.

Best Practices for Preparation:

Soak Your Beans: For dried beans, a long soak (8-12 hours) in water is crucial. Changing the water multiple times or adding a pinch of baking soda can help leach out the gas-causing oligosaccharides. Always discard the soaking water and cook in fresh water.
Rinse Canned Beans: Don't skip this step. The liquid in canned beans contains starches and oligosaccharides. Rinsing thoroughly can reduce their gas-producing effects.
Start Small and Build Up: If you are new to eating a lot of fiber, your gut bacteria need time to adjust. Start with a small portion (a quarter or half-cup) and increase gradually over several weeks.
Choose Wisely: Not all beans are created equal when it comes to digestibility. Some are notoriously more difficult than others.
Add Digestive Aids: Cooking with certain herbs and spices can help. Epazote is traditionally used in Mexican cooking for this purpose. Others include cumin, ginger, and fennel. A strip of kombu seaweed added to the cooking water can also help break down the compounds.
Time Your Meal: Allow at least 2 to 3 hours between your meal and bedtime to give your digestive system ample time to process the food without interfering with sleep.

Comparison: Choosing Your Beans Wisely


Bean Type	Digestibility Level	Key Characteristics
Lentils	Very Easy	Smaller size, low in gas-producing compounds.
Mung Beans	Very Easy	Mild flavor, tender texture, lower oligosaccharide content.
Black-Eyed Peas	Easy	Slightly sweet, lower indigestible fiber.
Chickpeas	Moderate	Generally well-tolerated when soaked and cooked properly.
Pinto Beans	Moderate to Harder	Higher in fiber and raffinose; preparation is important.
Kidney Beans	Harder	High in lectins and oligosaccharides; requires thorough soaking and cooking.
Soybeans	Hardest	Contains oligosaccharides and trypsin inhibitors; digestion can be challenging.

The Power of the Prep Method

Even the hardest-to-digest beans can become more manageable with the right technique. Proper soaking, rinsing, and cooking in a pressure cooker or with a digestive-friendly herb like kombu seaweed are transformative steps. Canned beans are a good option for those sensitive to beans cooked from dry, as the canning process helps break down some of the gas-causing carbohydrates. However, always remember to rinse canned beans to remove residual starches.

Conclusion: Listen to Your Body

So, are beans okay to eat at night? The answer is a qualified 'yes' for most people. While the nutritional benefits and potential sleep-supporting properties are appealing, individual tolerance and careful preparation are critical. By choosing easier-to-digest varieties, soaking and rinsing properly, starting with small portions, and timing your meal correctly, you can minimize potential digestive issues. Ultimately, pay attention to how your body reacts. If beans consistently cause discomfort, it might be best to enjoy them earlier in the day. The goal is a restful night's sleep, and for some, that means enjoying beans responsibly. You can learn more about the metabolic effects of evening bean consumption from this scientific study: Effects of a Brown Beans Evening Meal on Metabolic Risk Markers and Appetite Regulating Hormones at a Subsequent Standardised Breakfast: A Randomised Crossover Study.

Frequently Asked Questions

Beans contain complex carbohydrates called oligosaccharides that the human body cannot fully digest. Gut bacteria then ferment these, producing gas. You can reduce this by soaking dried beans, rinsing canned beans, and cooking with digestive-aiding herbs like epazote or cumin.

Yes. Smaller, milder beans like lentils, mung beans, and adzuki beans are generally easier on the stomach. Larger, harder beans such as kidney beans, navy beans, and soybeans are typically more challenging to digest.

Both can be fine with proper preparation. The canning process breaks down some of the gas-causing compounds, but you should still rinse canned beans thoroughly. For dried beans, soaking overnight is essential to reduce indigestible sugars.

Eating beans too close to bedtime can cause indigestion or gas, which may disrupt sleep. It's best to eat your meal at least 2 to 3 hours before sleeping to give your body adequate time to digest.

Beans contain nutrients like tryptophan (a precursor to sleep hormones like melatonin), magnesium (a muscle relaxant), and B vitamins, all of which can contribute to better sleep quality.

Studies suggest that a healthy diet rich in fiber, including from legumes like beans, is associated with more restful sleep. However, introducing high fiber amounts too quickly can cause digestive upset, so a gradual approach is recommended.

For dried beans, you can do a 'quick soak' by boiling for a few minutes, removing from heat, and letting them stand for an hour before draining and cooking. Using canned beans and rinsing them well is another quick method.