Obtaining a sufficient amount of restful sleep is imperative for general health. In reality, persistent sleep deprivation may have an adverse impact on your physical and psychological health and augment your exposure to several health issues, for instance, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Certain components, including what you eat, could make it more challenging for you to drift off to sleep and remain asleep.
If we are what we eat, our sleep is also definitely what we eat and what we avoid. In order to ensure a good night’s sleep for yourself, be sure to avoid the following foods:
FOODS AND DRINKS CONTAINING CAFFEINE
Chocolate
Coffee (including decaf, though in lower amounts than regular)
Kola nut
Green and black teas
Energy drinks and caffeinated sodas
Coffee-based desserts like tiramisu These can all be culprits for your lack of sleep when consumed earlier in the day. This is because caffeine is a stimulant of the central nervous system, meaning it increases feelings of alertness and makes you feel more awake and energized. Studies have indicated that drinking coffee, even several hours before going to bed, can have an impact on sleep. Research conducted in 2013 that involved 12 individuals discovered that consuming 400 mg of caffeine at night and also three and six hours beforehand had a significant effect on sleep. Fascinatingly, taking in 400 mg of caffeine 6 hours before bedtime increased the amount of time it took for the participants to go to sleep by more than double and decreased overall sleep duration by 1 hour in comparison to the placebo.
FOODS THAT ARE HOT AND SPICY
Chilies
Peppers
Black pepper
Hot sauces
Consuming spicy food late at night may lead to difficulty sleeping for multiple reasons. Hot dishes are noted to induce indigestion and exacerbate the signs of heartburn and acid reflux. Resting in bed to rest can amplify the ramifications of spicy food because acid may creep into the esophagus, causing discomfort. This can prevent you from achieving a good night's sleep and result in sleep problems. Eating very spicy foods, like chili peppers, slightly increases your core and surface body temperatures. It is only for a short period of time. But some scientists have suggested that if someone has a spicy meal close to bedtime, it could have a bad impact on their sleep. A rise in body temperature is linked to having trouble sleeping.
HIGH FAT FOODS LIKE FRIED FOODS, CHOCOLATES
Greasy foods like French fries
Steaks and burgers
very rich desserts
Evidence suggests that higher fat consumption, particularly saturated fat consumption, could have an adverse effect on sleep. A study of 26 adults in 2016 uncovered a correlation between elevated saturated fat intake and lighter, less fulfilling slumber. Furthermore, research on 459 females showed that the more fat, including saturated fat, they consumed, the shorter their total sleep duration was. A study of 211 males in 2015 demonstrated that the ones suffering from insomnia had a greater intake of saturated fat than their counterparts without any sleep troubles. Additionally, a 2016 examination of 15,273 males established that men with insomnia had diets that were richer in trans fats compared to those without insomnia. Moreover, having a heavy, fatty meal later in the evening may hinder sleep onset, likely due to the digestive system slowing down during sleep and the added burden of a fatty meal overwhelming it, causing distress and sleeplessness.
FOODS WITH HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX, SPECIALLY REFINED CARBS
Dishes containing maida
Refined and processed sugar
Research conducted in 2019 that was composed of data from more than 77,000 women revealed that individuals who consumed a high-glycemic diet were more prone to have insomnia over a three-year period. Additionally, it was observed that eating sugar and processed carbohydrates was linked to increased chances of insomnia. A diet high in high-glycemic foods and those containing loads of added sugar and refined grains appears to have a negative effect on sleep quality.
High glycemic index (GI) foods can result in sharp rises and falls in blood sugar, activating the release of hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and growth hormone, which may induce feelings of stress, hunger, and peevishness. Research suggests that low blood sugar can reduce the quality of sleep, while high blood sugar after a high-GI meal may make you feel drowsy initially, but its accompanying hormone changes, like insulin, could cause you to wake up in the middle of the night.
Alcohol is another major culprit. While it is a popular perception that alcohol makes you sleepy, research shows that it actually keeps people from falling asleep. Tomatoes are a less-known culprit as well. They're packed with an amino acid called tyramine, which activates the release of norepinephrine. This chemical boosts brain activity, which in turn delays your ability to fall asleep. Water-rich fruits and vegetables like citrus fruits, cucumbers, etc. can also disturb your sleep simply because you have to visit the bathroom multiple times during the night!