Should You Eat Coconut Oil Before Bed? Pros and Cons Explained

Coconut oil is one of the many superfoods that we should all be trying to include in our diets, but should you eat coconut oil before bed and will it interrupt your sleep…?

In small doses – it’s absolutely fine.

In fact with some of the positive health benefits I will cover in this article, in my opinion, it’s a great idea to eat a spoon of coconut oil before you go to sleep.

Here are some of the health benefits of this wonderful oil:

Should You Eat Coconut Oil Before Bed: Some Health Benefits of This Oil

Helps Prevent High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease

Being naturally high in natural saturated fats coconut oil helps to lower cholesterol levels and even convert your LDL cholesterol into HDL.

Lower cholesterol means you’re lowering your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other diseases related to elevated cholesterol levels.

Can Improve Memory

Studies have proven that coconut oil is responsible for improving the memory and even boosting brain function in older test subjects.

This is due to the medium-chain triglyceride fatty acids in the coconut oil. Just simply adding a spoon into a coffee or smoothie is all it takes.

It’s Good for Digestion and Ulcers

If you suffer from stomach ulcers, pain in your stomach or difficulty digesting food then adding some coconut oil into your diet might be exactly what you need.

Coconut oil helps by reducing the bad bacteria in your gut, as well as candida which causes a lot of people discomfort.

It’s Good for Your Skin

The fatty acids in coconut oil are great for skin. It gives skin a shiny look and feel, as well as helping reduce inflammation and irritation from skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and such.

Wash your skin with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores, then use a small amount of oil as a moisturizer to lock in moisture and nourish your skin.

How to Take Coconut Oil

There are a few different ways you can use coconut oil. I usually just add a spoon to a drink, here are some of the ways I do this:

Try a Coconut and Chamomile Tea for Better Sleep

If you enjoy a warm tea in the evening and need a little extra something to help you sleep I recommend a chamomile tea with a teaspoon of coconut oil stirred in.

It’s a really nice flavor, the chamomile is calming and will help you relax, and you’ll be taking on board those fatty acids from the oil.

Coconut Oil and Coffee

I tend to drink coffee late into the evening and it doesn’t affect my sleep. You should probably use decaf coffee though unless you’re going to drink this in the morning.

Just simple stir a teaspoon of coconut oil into the coffee. It requires a really good stir as it tends to sit on the surface, drink while still hot for the smoothest blend.

You can make what’s known as ‘Bulletproof coffee’ by using grass-fed butter instead of milk too.

Coconut Oil Smoothies

I love smoothies, it’s a great way to get your 5 a day and some coconut oil with minimal fuss while sipping a delicious drink.

Just add a teaspoon of oil in with 2-3 of your favorite fruits and add a cup of almond of coconut milk.

Quality over Quantity

There are lots of brands and types of coconut oil on the market. The one thing you need to look out for is that it’s ‘extra virgin’ coconut oil.

Some of the cheaper products are made with refined or processed oil and do not contain all the healthy fats and nutrients as outlined in this article.

Final Thoughts

With so many positive benefits to adding a scoop of coconut oil into your daily diet, it makes sense to do so.

It’s fine before bed too. Coconut oil shouldn’t interrupt your sleep. Quite the opposite, it should help soothe and digestive issues.

If you do think it’s causing you to stay awake longer just switch it up to the morning and see if that solves the problem.