Anyone struggling to get a good night’s sleep should know that they’re not alone—and your diet might be to blame. What we eat has a huge impact on how well we sleep, with some everyday foods potentially keeping you up without you even knowing it. Here are twelve common foods that may be sabotaging your sleep every night. Of course, you don’t have to give up these foods entirely yet you should be aware of the effects they could have on you.
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Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a nice treat but eating it at night could be why you’re not sleeping well. It contains caffeine that stays in your system for up to six hours & theobromine, a compound that may increase your heart rate. Both will make you feel more alert when you should be winding down. Unfortunately, a small piece after dinner might be enough to disrupt your sleep—so stay away!
Spicy Foods
Save the spicy foods for lunchtime because eating things like chili or hot wings close to bedtime may cause heartburn. They might even lead to indigestion when you lie down. But that’s not all, as the capsaicin in peppers raises your body temperature & affects the natural drop in temperature that helps you sleep. Being so warm makes you feel restless and uncomfortable.
Aged Cheeses
Enjoying some aged cheddar or Parmesan in the evening may seem harmless but these cheeses contain tyramine. This is an amino acid that triggers the release of norepinephrine—a brain stimulant—that makes your mind feel alert just when you want to relax. Of course, you don’t have to give up your cheesy snack. Instead, try choosing milder cheeses like mozzarella or ricotta at night to help you sleep better.
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Processed Meats
As delicious as a late-night snack with bacon, ham or sausage might be, it may affect your sleep. These processed meats are loaded with sodium that’ll increase your blood pressure and dehydrate you—neither of which is great for falling asleep. Worse still, they also contain additives & preservatives, which keep your brain more active. Try switching to fresh proteins like chicken or turkey so that you’ll actually fall asleep on time.
Cured Meats
Likewise, any cured meats like salami or pepperoni are also high in sodium which’ll keep you up late at night for the same reasons as processed meats. Beyond that, cured meats contain nitrates and tyramine as well so you’re better off choosing fresh, additive-free meats at night. Don’t let a piece of salami be the reason why you can’t sleep!
Tomatoes
Eating tomatoes or tomato-based sauces at dinner isn’t always great because tomatoes are highly acidic. When you lie down after eating them, they may cause acid reflux or heartburn that leads to a burning sensation in your chest or throat. You should try to limit tomatoes in the evening or at least go for less acidic foods at dinner. Doing so will keep indigestion at bay!
Cruciferous Vegetables
Even though broccoli & cabbage are rather healthy, these cruciferous veggies are high in fiber and take longer to digest. Eventually, this causes gas or bloating which makes you feel uncomfortable so it’s harder to fall asleep. Plus, your body working to digest them keeps you more awake! Instead, try eating these vegetables earlier in the day so you still get their nutritional benefits—but without the negative effects on your sleep.
Citrus Fruits
Anyone craving an orange or grapefruit at night should probably reconsider that because citrus fruits are acidic. As such, eating them in the evening may also cause heartburn that’ll keep you from falling asleep or wake you up during the night. Thankfully, you may still eat fruits at night, just not the acidic ones—go for bananas or apples instead.
Ice Cream
Lots of people love having a bowl of ice cream before bed although that’s not exactly great for you. Ice cream has lots of sugar which raises your blood sugar levels & gives you an energy boost when you’re trying to wind down. Then, your blood sugar crashes and you’re unable to sleep! If that wasn’t bad enough, high-fat content slows digestion so your body ends up working hard when it should be resting.
Fried Foods
Fried foods are heavy & loaded with fat which slows down digestion, so eating fries or fried chicken late at night may cause indigestion. Soon enough, you’ll feel rather restless as your body has to work overtime to digest these foods. It keeps you awake when you should be sleeping! Rather than fried foods, try going for lighter meals in the evening in order to get some better rest.
High-Sugar Cereals
A bowl of sugary cereal before bed may satisfy your sweet tooth but it also wrecks your sleep. High-sugar cereals spike your blood sugar levels, giving you a burst of energy right when you should be winding down. That doesn’t mean you can’t have cereal as an evening snack—rather, you should go for low-sugar & high-fiber options instead.
Energy Drinks
Any energy drinks you have will keep you up at night because of the high caffeine content & other stimulants. Since caffeine stays in your system for so long, even sipping in the late afternoon or evening is enough to ruin your sleep. As such, you should limit any energy drinks to more than 6-8 hours before your bedtime.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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