Last nite I tossed and turned. I tried to figure out why I was not sleeping as soundly as I usually do. Was it stress? Could be, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Was it the air temperature in our bedroom? No, the room was comfortable. Maybe I had eaten something that didn’t agree with me (my stomach was a bit rumbly). I woke up earlier than my alarm as I was tired of not sleeping and I started to research reasons why people don’t sleep so well. And in my search, I came across a list of foods that one shouldn’t eat before bed! Here are findings that I will share with you!
High Protein/ High Fat- Eating a high-protein meal before bed can lead to sleep disturbances. And, you may wind up with indigestion or acid reflux since you’ll be lying down with a full stomach. So, say no to that big porterhouse before bed!
Chocolate- Laying on the couch watching Netflix and munching on a nestle crunch bar isn’t going to help you sleep at nite, neither will the snack of milk and cookies. Chocolate is a hidden source of caffeine. It also means that taking a forkful of your favorite souffle or chocolate ice cream may be the very thing keeping you up. The caffeine in chocolate causes increased arousal, and decreases the ability to develop and sustain the deeper stages of sleep.
Alcohol- Having one glass of wine with dinner is what many enjoy. But too much alcohol before bed can make you more likely to wake up throughout the night and diminishes quality of sleep. As alcohol is a potent muscle relaxer it can also lead to snoring which completely interrupts your own sleep as well as anyone sleeping beside you.
Dried Fruit- I bet you never thought that something so healthy could be so bad for a good nites sleep. Consuming too much dried fruit can bother your stomach and cause you to have gas and cramps during the night. Their high-fiber, low-water content is a big contributor to your missed z’s!
Green Tea- Love the healthy benefits of green tea but only during the daytime hours and not at nite. Green tea contains two other stimulants in addition to containing caffeine. These other two substances are theobromine and theophylline, which may cause increased heart rate, feelings of nervousness, and overall anxiety.
These are just a few of the foods that you should avoid before bed and if you want to know more then email me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com