Does eating an orange at night really make you sleepy?

Professor Boris Hansel, an endocrinologist and nutritionist at Bichat Hospital, returned to the popular belief during his column in Media Le Point. He sorted the truth from the myth about oranges keeping you up at night because of their vitamin C content. Are the effects of this citrus fruit really what we believe?

Although oranges contain high levels of vitamin C, that doesn’t mean they can keep you from sleeping at night. This is what Professor Hansel explains: “Vitamin C in the form of a food supplement or an orange won’t increase your energy or make you sleepy.” So you can eat orange before sleeping with peace of mind.

However, this idea does not come from nowhere. It certainly comes from the tube on food supplements rich in vitamin C with the following inscription: “Due to a slight stimulant effect, it is advised not to take vitamin C at the end of the day.” The professor clarifies that this inscription is not valid for oranges: “But a vitamin C supplement is 1 gram of the vitamin! 12 times more than 200 grams of orange.”

However, there is one reason you may want to avoid eating oranges (and citrus fruits more generally) in the evening: if you are prone to gastric reflux. Indeed, oranges promote reflux due to their acidity content. As this reflux is pronounced in the sleeping position, it is better to do everything possible to provoke them. If you don’t have this type of problem, you can eat oranges and citrus fruits before going to bed without any problems.