The 7 Foods You Should Avoid At All Costs Before Bed

healthgiant

5 days ago

A good night’s sleep is essential for your health, but what you eat before bed can be the factor that ruins it. Discover the 7 foods you should avoid to ensure a restful night’s sleep.

Eating before bed is a common practice, but few of us are aware of how certain foods and drinks can affect the quality of our rest. The body needs time to digest, and consuming certain foods overloads our digestive system, which can lead to indigestion, heartburn, and ultimately disrupt our sleep cycle. Below, we present a guide to foods that, due to their composition, are best left off your nighttime menu if you’re looking for uninterrupted rest.

Spicy food

Spicy foods contain capsaicin, a compound that can irritate the stomach lining and cause acid reflux. Capsaicin also increases body temperature, making it difficult to fall asleep, as our bodies need to cool down to enter rest mode.

Coffee and caffeinated beverages

Caffeine is a well-known stimulant. It works by blocking adenosine, a brain chemical that promotes sleepiness. Consuming coffee, black tea, or energy drinks hours before bedtime can keep you awake and disrupt your sleep cycles, even if you don’t feel “awake” immediately after consuming them.

Citrus and tomato

Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and tomato products are highly acidic. Eating them close to bedtime can trigger heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux, especially in people prone to these conditions. Digestive upset is a common cause of insomnia.

Chocolate

Although chocolate is delicious, it contains caffeine and theobromine, another stimulant that increases heart rate and can cause nervousness. Dark chocolate is particularly high in these compounds. Eating it before bed can keep your brain on alert, making it difficult to relax and relax.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant that can initially cause drowsiness. However, its consumption disrupts deep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the most restorative stages. As your body metabolizes alcohol, you may wake up in the middle of the night, resulting in fragmented, low-quality sleep.

Fried or greasy foods

High-fat foods, such as fast food, French fries, or fried foods, require a long digestion process. The body focuses on digesting these fats instead of preparing for rest, which can lead to heaviness, bloating, and discomfort that will keep you awake.

Aged cheese and processed meats

These foods contain tyramine, an amino acid that can increase the production of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant. This increase in norepinephrine can make you feel more alert and anxious, hindering your body’s ability to calm down and prepare for sleep.