Could your favorite foods be the reason why you’re tossing and turning all night? Trust us, it’s not just your mind that’s keeping you up, because certain foods could be silently sabotaging your sleep cycle. From late-night snacks to dinner options, here are the 10 foods that might be causing your sleep woes.
10. Dark Chocolate
It’s a given that caffeinated foods can make you feel more awake and energized. So let’s start off with a treat that contains it. Of all the chocolate types, dark chocolate has the most caffeine because it has more cocoa solids than others. Theobromine is another stimulant found in dark chocolate that can increase heart rate, potentially disturbing sleep cycles.
9. Tomato-Based Dishes
Despite the humble tomato’s health benefits, it also has the potential to disrupt your sleep. Consuming too much of it or a tomato-based dish close to bedtime could trigger heartburn and acid reflux, and that’s because tomatoes are highly acidic. Tomato’s tyramine content (a form of amino acid) can also stimulate the brain, making it difficult to fall asleep.
8. Spicy Foods
Similar to tomatoes, spicy foods may cause acid reflux and heartburn. More importantly, spicy foods can raise your body temperature, and when this happens, it’s harder for your body to kickstart the cooling process that naturally occurs before and while you sleep. Do yourself a favor and avoid those chili peppers and hot sauces.
7. Energy Bars
Many energy bars contain caffeine, so it’s no wonder it could ruin your sleep. But let’s move past that and talk about the high sugar content. This may cause blood sugar spikes, leading to wakefulness later at night. What kicks in next is the hormonal changes caused by the blood sugar spike; you might find yourself feeling hungry or thirsty when you wake up.
6. Fast Food Items
Recent studies have shown that high intake of fast food and ultra-processed food are linked to poor quality sleep. But that’s not all, because diets that are rich in these fried, greasy foods are also linked to weight gain. Further studies have confirmed that people with obesity tend to experience more sleep issues than those who aren’t overweight.
5. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits like oranges and lemon have citric acid that causes your stomach to produce more acid. So stay away from these fruits if you’re prone to acid reflux. Additionally, citrus fruits also act as natural diuretics, which means they encourage your body to pass urine, leading to frequent bathroom trips at night.
4. Broccoli
Broccoli is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, which are a nutritious bunch! But when eaten in large quantities, they could leave you feeling bloated. At night, it’s best to avoid broccoli and other veggies like cabbage and cauliflower if you’re prone to gastrointestinal issues. You can still enjoy them, though, early in the day or in smaller quantities.
3. Cookies
Cookies, especially those with high sugar content, can cause a spike in blood sugar levels, and you already know what happens after that. Also, remember what we said about dark chocolate having the most caffeine? This is your sign to think twice about grabbing that ooey gooey dark chocolate chip cookies before going to bed!
2. White Bread
In addition to sugar, there are other foods that can have an impact on your blood sugar levels, and these include simple carbs like white bread. With simple carbs, your blood sugar level quickly rises, prompting the release of insulin to bring it down. That rapid drop in blood sugar level can lead to fatigue, disrupting your sleep.
1. High-Protein Meal
Protein is good for your body, right? Right, but not when you’re about to sleep. Having a high-protein meal too close to bedtime can actually interrupt your sleep because protein takes longer to digest when compared to carbs. Keep in mind as well that the digestion process is slower during sleep (by up to 50%), so a high-protein meal could leave you feeling uncomfortably full.