Would you choose meals that could help you obtain the best sleep possible if you had the option? Obviously, YES!
What if you knew certain foods could prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep, would you avoid them?
If, YES! Now is your time to discover how to get a good night’s sleep by doing just that.
Here, I am going to enlist certain foods to avoid before sleeping.
Table of Contents
Foods to Avoid Before Bed
Are you a midnight fridge raider or a late-night snacker? Or Is the whole family involved?
While it may be tempting to serve late-night ice cream or cook midnight popcorn, your body needs several hours to digest a large snack, which might disrupt sleep.
As a general guideline, you should only eat a late-night snack if you’re actually hungry. As midnight cravings can occasionally be caused by boredom or anxiety rather than hunger.
Read about the following foods to avoid before sleeping.
Get to know more about the secret to a beauty sleep.
1- Ice Cream
Who doesn’t like having Ice cream as a popular treat to enjoy before going to bed? EVERYONE!
While a bowl of ice cream may be appealing, the sugar in it may interfere with your sleep later. It is high in fat. Alos, ice cream contains a lot of sugar, which takes a long time to digest.
As a result, your body can’t get enough rest while it’s still digesting meals. So, there is a big NO-NO to candy bars and ice creams as late-night snacks.
2- Beware of Caffeine
Coffee, as we all know, can keep you up for a longer period of time at night. Because caffeine can stay in your system for hours, it’s best to avoid it for several hours before bedtime.
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, and its effects can last anywhere from 8 to 14 hours, so think about your sleep when you’re considering a cup of coffee.
Caffeine can also be found in less obvious places, such as chocolate, cola, and tea. For better sleep, cut all caffeine from your diet 4 to 6 hours before bedtime.
3- Skip Alcohol Before Bed
You may fall asleep faster with alcohol, but your sleep quality becomes poor. You may wake up frequently, tossing and turning, and perhaps experiencing headaches, night sweats, and nightmares.
Drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic drink can assist to lessen the effects of the alcohol. However, it’s best to avoid alcohol 4 to 6 hours before bedtime for a decent night’s sleep.
4- Avoid Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate! A sneaky devil. It contains amino acids and caffeine. Amino acids in the chocolate keep you awake at night, making the next day boring and dull. Thus, dark chocolate makes its place in the list of foods to avoid before sleeping.
Dark chocolate provides twice the energy, making it a much better afternoon snack instead of a late-night nibble.
Read further about sleeping pills’ side effects.
5- Watch Out Cheese
Have you heard that if you eat cheese late at night, you’ll have strange dreams? Yes, it’s a possibility.
Cheese contains the amino acid tyramine, which can help your brain stay attentive for extended periods of time.
So, despite our fondness for a cheese board after dinner, overeating will simply make it more difficult for you to sleep.
6- Cut Your Sugar Intake
Sugar is the key ingredient in almost every dish that has the potential to disrupt your sleep. Sugar causes your energy level to rise, which prevents you from falling asleep easily.
Sugar in all foods can be a sleep disruptor rather than a sleep promoter.
7- Red Meat and Chicken
One of the foods to avoid before bed include red meat and chicken. They’re high in animal-based proteins. As a result, they require a lot of energy to digest, and prolonging this process could throw your sleep schedule off.
In addition, tyrosine, an amino acid found in this protein, stimulates brain activity. When you combine them with spices, your metabolism will be boosted and your body will be awakened, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
8- Pizza – Don’t Eat Before Bed
Pizza! One of the most popular late-night snack dishes. Keep it out of your late night menu!
No matter how delicious pizza is, eating it before bed is not a good idea. Because cheese is high in fat and tomato sauce is acidic. This favourite late-night dish is recommended food to avoid before bed.
9- Tomatoes
Tomatoes are on the NO-NO list due to their high acidity, which can cause heartburn and indigestion. They contain tyramine, an amino acid that boosts brain activity and keeps you up at night.
10- Water – Limit Intake Before Sleeping
Drinking too much water might substantially disrupt your sleep. You have to get up several times to go to the bathroom, no matter how much water you drink.
Instead, cut your fluid consumption three hours before bedtime.
11- Diuretic Foods
What does diuretic food mean? Foods that cause excessive urination. These are also among foods to avoid before bed.
Diuretic foods include:
- Celery
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Ginger
- Watermelon
- Alcohol
They should be avoided before bedtime because they force you to get up to pee frequently. Getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom might have a negative impact on your sleep quality.
12- Spicy Foods
Spicy foods might cause problems at night for anyone who suffers from heartburn.
There’s another reason to stay away from them. Although your body temperature should naturally drop to allow you to sleep, hot peppers can instead raise it. Being heated can cause you to stay awake for longer.
So, if you enjoy spicy cuisine, eat it for breakfast or lunch instead of dinner.
Opt For These Foods to Snack ON ….
Going to bed hungry is bad for most people’s sleep quality. So, if you’re looking for a late snack or supper before bedtime, consider any of these possibilities.
- Milk and Yogurt
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Hummus
- Oatmeal
- Honey
- Bananas
- Berries
- Cherries
Wrapping Up!
You now have a better understanding of how simple foods can affect our sleep. So, before going to bed, be mindful of the foods to avoid before sleeping. Also, the proper meal hour is a tiny thing that could help you sleep easily! Meals should be consumed at least 3 hours before bedtime.You can further consult with a sleep specialist near you to make right food choices before going to bed. You can make an appointment via Healthwire.pk or call at 042 32500989.
