Most people use the blame game when they have a terrible night of sleep, blaming their devices’ blue light, work-related stress, or their bedmates’ tossing, turning, or wagging. However, most sleep-deprived people don’t consider their dinner or late-night snack a common sleep disruptor.
As it turns out, your choice of pre-bedtime snacks can significantly impact how well you fall asleep. Some foods are positively energizing, while others can worsen conditions like acid reflux, indigestion, and heartburn. These foods will make it difficult to fall asleep if consumed right before bed.
- Fatty and fried foods
Fried and fatty foods can also interfere with digestion at night. Healthy fats are acceptable, such as those found in nuts, seeds, or avocados, but saturated fats and fried foods should be avoided.
- Spicy foods
If you enjoy spicy food a lot, you might want to save it for lunch or a light dinner. That’s because even in the middle of the night after you’ve already gone to sleep, your favorite curry can cause digestive issues. Additionally, spicy foods contain large amounts of capsaicin, a phytochemical that can disrupt some people’s sleep patterns because it raises metabolism and thermogenesis.
It has been demonstrated that consuming 2.5 milligrams of capsaicin per meal can help the body regain its energy balance. That’s not exactly what you want right before laying your head down.
- Sour foods
The best way to eat in the evening is to try to reduce the production of stomach acid. This can be helped by avoiding eating too close to bedtime and, of course, acidic foods altogether. This covers many items, such as sugar, grains, dairy and meat products, and baked goods.
- Alcohol
Alcohol is well known for interfering with sleep, and there is ample research to support this. It not only prevents REM sleep, but it can also make waking up the following day more challenging.
- Large meals
Last, you should avoid consuming large amounts of food before bed. A full stomach makes it difficult to fall asleep, and maintaining digestion through the night uses energy. Larger lunches and lighter dinners typically aid in improving sleep. You might even think about time-restricted eating, which has been proven to help people get a good night’s rest.
- Beverages with carbonation and caffeine
Caffeinated sodas and caffeinated tea can also keep you awake, so remember that they should be avoided before bed. She continues, “Having a cutoff time during the day is still a good idea, even if you believe you are not affected by caffeine.” Drinks with carbonation can also mess with your digestion.
- Kiwi
With this food from Down Under, you can fall asleep next to the down comforter. It has a high concentration of serotonin, antioxidants, carotenoids, and vitamins C and E. Low levels of this hormone are linked to rapid eye movement and sleep and may contribute to insomnia. Similar to how kiwis are high in folate, insomnia is a health problem that can result from a folate deficiency.
