Sleepy But Hungry?  7 Foods To Avoid Before Sleeping!

By Niveditha Kalyanaraman

September 7th, 2023

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Food affects the way our body functions throughout the day. Night is the time our body craves a few foods that may/may not hinder sleep. Here are 7 foods you must absolutely avoid before going to bed!

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Alcohol

Granted that alcohol makes you drowsy and prone to heavy sleep quite easily. But it affects your sleep patterns and chances are, you'll wake up in between the night. You also wake up thirsty as alcohol dehydrates the body.

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Diuretic Foods

Diuretic foods are those that induce a lot of urination. Foods like celery, carrots, cucumber, ginger, watermelons etc make you want to pee often during the middle of the night and it hinders your sleep quality.

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Tomatoes

For those who pick their tomatoes out of their food, you're doing it right at night. Tomato contains tyramine, a type of amino acid that increases brain activity and delays sleep.

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Pizza

A popular midnight craving that hinders your sleep and your health; pizza has cheese that's rich in fat and tomato sauce that's very acidic. An unhealthy combo to consume at night.

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Red Meat And Chicken

They are rich in animal-based proteins that take a lot of energy to digest and when paired with spices, they serve as a wake-up call to the body and keep you awake.

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Coffee

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and its effect lasts anywhere between 8-14 hours and is best to avoid if you're looking forward to having a great sleep. Not just coffee, but any food with caffeine, like dark chocolate, must also be avoided.

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Sugar

The energy surge sugar gives jolts you awake and is a sleep disruptor rather than a sleep supporter. Foods with sugar need to be avoided before bed.

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