A good night's sleep is essential not just for your health but also for maintaining a positive attitude the next day. To a significant part, what we eat for dinner determines whether we sleep like a baby or spend the night battling insomnia.
What are the 10 foods you should avoid just before bed if you want to have a restful night?
#1 Cereal
Cereals frequently include a lot of refined sugar and are heavy in carbs. That could cause a spike and crash in your blood sugar levels, which isn't the best method to relax your body before going to bed. Rather than grabbing for sugary cereals, opt for healthier options. Whole-grain and low-sugar options will satisfy your hunger but not keep you awake.
#2 Dark Chocolate
Who doesn't enjoy snatching a small piece of chocolate before going to bed to receive that warm glow? Unfortunately, dark chocolate is one of the meals you should avoid if you want to get a decent night's sleep.
Caffeine, which is believed to perk you up, is hidden in dark chocolate. Almost all chocolate has some caffeine, and it's also high in stimulants like theobromine, which has been shown to make your heart race a little.
White chocolate is the only saving grace, as it contains no theobromine and is usually caffeine-free.
#3 Alcohol
There's a common misconception that drinking a lot of alcohol puts you in a deep coma and allows you to sleep well, but this isn't entirely true. While alcohol can help you fall asleep, it does not provide you with a restful and rejuvenating night's sleep.
Alcohol actually interferes with sleep's restorative processes, resulting in shallow sleep and several awakenings throughout the night. Furthermore, persons who use alcohol to fall asleep on a daily basis develop an addiction to it, creating an unpleasant cycle.
Alcohol should be avoided if you want to sleep deeply and peacefully.
#4 Red Meat
The issue is that red meat is high in proteins and lipids, which will keep your body working late into the night. To get a better night's sleep, you need all of your systems to be in sync, and meat takes longer to digest than other foods.
Red foods, which are strong in iron and tryptophan, which aids sleep, should not be avoided entirely. Just don't consume it shortly before bedtime, or your body will spend the entire night breaking it down.
#5 Ice Cream
A bowl of ice cream may be the most relaxing bad-breakup bed companion, but its soothing effects are limited. For starters, ice cream is high in fat, so you won't be able to burn any of it before bed, and then all of the sugar will pump your body full of energy right before you fall asleep, so you'll be sending your body contradictory messages. Furthermore, the sugar is just stored and converted to fat, making this a lose-lose situation all around.
Eating high-sugar foods before bedtime has also been linked to nightmares, so while the flavor may be soothing, the consequences are unsettling.
#6 Coffee
While some people appear to be able to sleep through a late-night espresso, the majority are not so fortunate. If caffeine interferes with your sleep, don't consume it more than six hours before bedtime.
#7 Pasta
Pasta is a quick and easy fix for those in need of a late-night snack, but it's not the best choice.
Pasta is made up entirely of carbohydrates, and if you eat it shortly before night, it will all turn to fat. Furthermore, the oils, cheeses, and heavy cream or tomato sauces that are added to pasta will just add to the crowd in your love handles. Also, most pasta has a high glycemic index, which means it'll mess with your blood sugar levels, keep you up at night, and postpone sleep.
#8 Pizza
For a variety of reasons, you might want to reconsider that late-night pizza order. According to a recent study, the cheese topping may cause nightmares, and the acidic tomato sauce may cause belly problems and 2 a.m. bathroom visits. Plus, pizza is more than just a late-night snack; having a second dinner adds a lot of calories you don't need.
#9 Candy Bars
Candy bars should be avoided if nightmares about the monster in the closet or the gremlins under the bed keep you awake at night. A nightmare that is very real to us is one of the easiest — and worst — ways of waking up from a deep slumber. According to a new study, 7 out of 10 persons who eat junk foods before bed, such as candy bars, are more likely to have nightmares. The theory is that elevated sugar levels cause more nightmare-like brain rhythms. Instead, try these junk food alternatives.
If you're searching for a tranquil night, cross this late-night snack off your list.
#10 Burgers
A large, fatty meal like a burger makes your digestive tract work overtime, which might make it difficult to fall asleep. According to a new study, eating too much saturated fat is associated with lighter sleep and increased arousal.