Avoid Consuming These 9 Foods Before Going to Bed

Most often at night, our taste buds crave something and you tend to eat whatever is easy to grab at night.

But are you aware that there are certain foods you should not be eating at night as they can disrupt sleep, cause nightmares, irritate tummy, and cause sleep interrupting bathroom trips?

Below are elaborated few bedtime snacks which can leave you tossing and turning the whole night.

• Late night hunger often brings a thought of yummy, cheesy and that solution to your craving taste buds, pizza.
• A slice of pizza is a combination of fat in the cheese and acid in the tomato sauce, both of which impact the sleep quality. When eaten close to bedtime, high acid food can lead to acid reflux. It also keeps you partially awake the whole night makes it difficult to cope with, the next day.
• According to a study, the cheesy topping can give you nightmares ⁽¹⁾, and the tomato sauce can lead to an upset stomach. Along with all this, it adds extra calories which nobody needs.

• Caffeine can disturb sleep and its effect may last for up to 14 hours, as it stimulates the nervous system.
• Some people are not affected and are able to down late night espresso without losing even a wink of sleep. But if you are among those who are affected by the caffeine intake, try not taking coffee at least 6 hours before bedtime, as seen in a study ⁽²⁾, as you can have a hard time falling asleep.

• Eating high in sugar cereals spike the blood sugar levels which affect the sleep. Sugary cereals digest fast in the system and cause a rise in the blood sugar and are low fiber, therefore are linked with lighter sleep.
• If you are planning to have a bowl of cereals go for the low-sugar and high-fiber kinds.

• Did you ever think eating spicy food at night could keep you awake?
• Spices like cayenne and Tabasco have metabolism boosting properties which can trigger heartburn in people who are sensitive to it.
• Spices also bear thermogenic properties, which tend to increase the body’s core temperature. While getting ready to sleep the core temperature decreases. Eating chilly food, therefore, can make you feel away and struggle to sleep ⁽³⁾.

• Soda is a big no before going to bed, as it is full of caffeine, which, if taken before bedtime would make you linger on awake. Also, the ‘no diet’ ones are chokingly full of sugar, which is super stimulating to be taken before going to bed.
• As discussed above, sugar is linked with less restful sleep.

• A glass of wine before going to bed can help relax you and fall asleep faster, but regularly consuming alcohol before bedtime disturbs the sleep quality. It actually disturbs the sleep pattern ⁽⁴⁾. It might also wake you up in the middle of the night and early morning, because of an urge to pee.
• Drinking alcohol can also lead to snoring, as it is a potent muscle relaxer ⁽⁵⁾.

• Citrus fruits are highly acidic and can prove to be problematic for those who have a sensitive bladder or reflux problem.
• Instead, you can try eating whole fruits. The carbohydrates would help with sleep and the fiber helps you absorb sugar slowly.

• A heavy fatty food such as burgers can make your stomach work hard to digest it. This can prove disruptive for sleep.
• A study shows that food rich in saturated fats are associated with sleep arousals and slow wave sleep ⁽⁶⁾.
• Fatty foods often lead to bloating and indigestion, which interferes with the sound sleep at night.

• Peppermints bear a lot of benefits, but giving a good night sleep is not among those.
• Most people eat it after meals to freshen up the breath and some put it in their tea. Peppermint is a heartburn trigger, therefore taking it before bedtime is not recommended.
• A good sleep keeps you fresh, alert and active the next day. Therefore, if you have a habit of late night binging, just choose your snacks right.

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