10 foods that should be avoided before sleep

10 foods that should be avoided before sleep

Surely you have ever heard that “nights of debauchery, ibuprofen mornings” and also that copious dinner are linked to nights of no eye glue. But sometimes, it is not just about the excesses in quantity, but there are some foods that should be avoided before sleep if we want to fall asleep as babies and wake up the next morning as fresh as roses.

Some of us already imagine what they are, others may surprise us, but they have a good reason to appear on the list of foods that should be avoided before sleep that we present below.

These foods are here:

  • Chocolate and orange cream
  • Very spicy or spicy food
  • Coffee
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Excessively greasy food
  • Red meats
  • Cereals
  • Benefits of broccoli
  • Benefits of broccoli
  • Water
  1. Chocolate and orange cream: Chocolate has caffeine, especially dark chocolate. It is found in the cocoa pods used to make chocolate. And just like the morning coffee gives us an extra dose of energy throughout the day, chocolate is also a stimulant that improves mental agility, reduces fatigue and speeds up our metabolism. It is not exactly what interests us the most to go to bed, if what we want to do is sleep, of course.
  2. Very spicy or spicy food: Digestion slows down during sleep and digesting spicy food takes an extra effort so it will take more time if digestion is done while we are trying to sleep. Eating spicy food before bedtime can disrupt the continuity of sleep and cause us to wake up several times during the night. As a result, we will not get a good night’s sleep. Another reason why spicy foods reduce the quality of sleep is that they increase body temperature. On the other hand, although we do not abuse the spice, the meals too spicy, especially the very salty ones will make us wake up thirsty during the night.
  3. Coffee: If we should not have chocolate before going to sleep, coffee less still. Caffeine is specifically a stimulant of the central nervous system. It increases the production of adrenaline, a hormone that allows the body to make use of the available energy. A cup of coffee contains an average of 250 mg of caffeine with which you can notice its stimulant effects in a few 15 minutes after consumption and can last for hours. It takes a total of 6 hours for the body to eliminate half of the caffeine in a cup of coffee.
  4. Alcoholic drinks: A few beers, a couple of glasses of wine and it seem that immediately we were fired in bed. And yes, it is true, that alcoholic drinks “stun” a little and many people fall asleep earlier and more deeply. But the truth is that alcohol consumption reduces the duration of the known REM phase, or phase of rapid eye movements, which is the phase of sleep during which our body recovers and prepares to stay awake the next day. Obviously, if alcohol is ingested in excess, everyone knows that awakening is not precisely in the midst of a sense of well-being, but rather to deal with the well-known hangover.
  5. Excessively greasy food: And we do not just talk about the hamburger or the pizza from the fast food establishment on the corner, the ones we make at home, however much we know what they are made of, are equally undesirable if at dinner time we are going to get into the bed. In both cases, they will produce heavy digestions that will not allow us to enjoy a good night’s sleep.
  6. Red meats: Some foods such as milk or cheese contain healthy amounts of protein that do not prevent a good night’s sleep. In contrast, red meat, although suitable for weight loss diets, has too much protein to be consumed before sleep, which means an overexertion at the time of digesting them resulting in a worse quality sleep. In fact, a meal that only has protein is very satisfying but also difficult to assimilate. If we also try to sleep, the dreaded heartburn may occur during digestion.

    Sweet
    Image source:Google image
  7. Cereals: There is no problem to consume whole grains before going to sleep; the problem is that the vast majority of cereals available in the market today have high amounts of sugar. Eating cereals rich in simple sugars will increase blood sugar levels by providing an energy that we will not burn and that will not let us fall asleep. When the blood sugar levels begin to fall, the sensation of sleep will begin, but our body will try to continue compensating for the excess blood sugar and that will affect the REM phase, so we will wake up feeling tired. So when we want to eat cereals we should avoid the varieties that have added sugars and choose whole grains with complex carbohydrates.
  8. Benefits of broccoli: It is important to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, but not all are easy to digest if consumed shortly before going to bed. Cauliflower and broccoli are good examples of this. These vegetables contain tryptophan, an amino acid present in the proteins that regulate sleep and which plays an important role in the production of serotonin, a hormone that induces drowsiness and a sense of well-being. Unfortunately, cauliflower and broccoli are also high in fiber that makes them difficult to digest during sleep. Other foods that are rich in fiber are bran, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, celery, squash, kidney beans and white mushrooms. These foods should be consumed during the day but avoid them at night before going to sleep. Nor are acidic fruits and vegetables such as oranges, raspberries, and raw tomatoes that can produce heartburn-stomach gamblers recommendable.
  9. Sweet: For the same reason that we should avoid sugary cereals, we should not stuff ourselves with sweets before going to sleep. How many times have we taken chocolate milk and some cookies for dinner and the next morning we had the feeling of not having rested?
  10. Water: It sounds amazing, right? The most important liquid in our diet, which we should consume at least two liters a day and change is one of the foods that should be avoided before bedtime. How can it be bad to drink water before going to bed? Not that it is bad, but there is a good reason not to abuse water during dinner, and it is the most obvious. If we drink a lot of water or any other liquid before going to sleep, we will wake up during the night with the need to go to the bathroom, which will interrupt sleep and prevent us from resting properly.

Shital

Shital regularly contributes health-related topics and healthy living ideas to this blog and other health blogs around the web. When she’s not busy working with the jobs, you will find her undertaking many of her own health-related topics and healthy living ideas! She has a lot of dreams. She works hard to fulfill her dreams. She loves to share her ideas, tricks, tips and information by blogging. She also works at CYONWO, a company that committed to helping businesses with online marketing.

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