I Tried the Controversial “Onion Method” for Better Sleep — And It Didn’t Go As Planned

Eating onions before going to bed might sound like the opposite of what you should do if you’re trying to fall asleep. I’ll admit that when I read this story on how onions can improve sleep, my interest was piqued by this line: “Some claim that placing a bowl on your bedside table containing sliced, raw onion can induce quicker and deeper sleep for those who struggle to get to bed at night.”

I was also a bit skeptical, considering my eyes start to water the minute I slice into an onion. But then I went down a rabbit hole watching videos about the benefits of onions for everything from curing a cold to removing bad energy. 

Suddenly I was (metaphorically) dreaming of onions. The thought of an onion magically zapping away all the stresses of the day made me want to try this supposed natural sleep remedy for myself. Ever since my dog passed away in 2017, I’ve had a hard time falling asleep and feeling rested in the morning.

Once I doze off, I can usually sleep soundly until my alarm goes off — but I’ll take any help falling asleep I can get, which is why I’ve tried everything from the “alpha bridge” method to a hack using a sweatshirt to get better shut-eye. 

So I decided to look into the sleep-inducing properties of eating an onion before bed by consulting two sleep experts and trying it out for myself. 

The “onion method” is the term I’ve coined for consuming an onion before bed in the pursuit of better sleep. There are three ways to do that.

• Simply cutting an onion and leaving it on your nightstand, as the amino acid onions contain (called L-tryptophan) are thought to act like a natural sedative.
• Eating raw onion, as there’s limited evidence that a compound in onions called cysteine sulfoxide can help with stress and insomnia. 
• Swallowing onion extract, as one randomized controlled study found that people who consumed onion extract before bed fell asleep faster and slept longer compared to the control group. 

Unsure which route to take, I consulted Dr. Shelby Harris, director of sleep health at Sleepopolis. “The claim that placing an onion by your bed can induce quicker and deeper sleep is not scientifically supported,” she says, explaining it’s unlikely you would absorb enough L-tryptophan to fall asleep just by breathing in the smell of an onion. Plus, leaving slices of onion out overnight didn’t seem like a good idea, as onions are highly toxic to dogs, and I have two who love to sleep with me.

Even if you fall asleep faster with an onion beside you, “there’s no evidence it can help you stay asleep and experience the sleep cycle optimally,” says Lauri Leadley, CCSH, RPSGT, clinical sleep educator and founder and president at Valley Sleep Center. If you’re looking for a sleep-boosting scent, aromas like lavender and chamomile can induce calm and relaxation. However, scent is “just one component of preparing your sleep space and making it conducive to a good night’s rest,” Leadley says.

So I decided to take a closer look at the option of eating raw onions before bed. “Although it’s not likely to have an adverse effect, this isn’t a reliable method for improving sleep,” Harris says. A more effective approach would be “practicing good sleep hygiene by maintaining a consistent bedtime, reducing screen time before bed, and creating a comfortable sleep environment,” she adds. 

Still, good sleep can be a mystery and what works for one person might not work for another. I was still curious about trying a natural sleep remedy with something I already have in my kitchen (plus, I figured the other potential health benefits of onions wouldn’t hurt, either). 

Because I didn’t have onion extract on hand, I decided to go the DIY route by cutting up a good ol’ onion and eating it before bed. Here’s what happened.

I cook with onions regularly, and because I love the flavor they add to food I also occasionally enjoy them raw on top of a turkey or salmon burger. But chopping or slicing onions makes my eyes and nose feel like they’re on fire. No matter how many times I wash my hands, I still feel paranoid that I’m rubbing onion juice into my eyes.

Considering my love-hate relationship with onions, I was curious how eating them before bedtime would affect my sleep. The first evening, I cut the onion in half and put aside a few slices to eat before bedtime. I made sure to prep the onion when I was making dinner to get the eye-watering episode out of the way. I sat in the kitchen and ate three slices about 30 minutes before I went to bed. 

Although I didn’t notice a positive or negative effect on my sleep, I did observe an unexpected silver lining when I woke up: clearer sinuses. While this could have been a coincidence, research shows that “onions are rich in vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and can help you relax and sleep better,” Harris says. 

I repeated the experiment the following night, eating about a quarter of the onion. I don’t normally eat this close to bedtime, but I decided to slice the remaining half later in the evening to see if a more freshly sliced onion would make a difference in my sleep. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice it made any difference in how quickly I fell asleep. 

Because I didn’t enjoy the funky taste of onion that lingered even after brushing my teeth and because lying down soon after eating onions seemed to irritate my stomach, I decided to cut the experiment short at two nights. Plus, having an eye-watering nighttime routine wasn’t doing wonders for getting me in a cozy sleep state.

The verdict: This supposed sleep hack just didn’t work for me. Still, for an allergy sufferer like me, waking up with less congestion was a pleasant side effect of eating raw onions. It’s up to you whether you feel like making them a midnight snack.