Let’s be honest, we all enjoy a snack at night, don’t we? There’s something comforting about getting that late night snack in before bed, and sometimes it’s totally warranted after a long, hard day. But, you should know that snacking before bed is an artform, and you need to make sure you choose the right snack for the occasion. You want the right snack to satisfy, but you also want to make sure you don’t compromise your sleep pattern.
It’s so easy to do this, and that’s why you have got to make sure you do as much as possible to make the right choice. Picking the ideal snack to enjoy before bedtime is not as simple as it might first appear, and you have to understand there are certain foods you mustn’t have before going to sleep. We understand it can be hard to identify these, so we’ve come up with a list to help you figure out which foods to avoid.
Broccoli
It’s weird to see broccoli on this list, as you would think it is the vegetable that can do no wrong. But actually, it seems that broccoli is not the ideal food to consume before bed, as it can interrupt your sleep pattern. Your body takes a while to digest it so it can interfere with your ability to sleep well. Instead, eat broccoli, and other veg, earlier in the day to give your body plenty of time to digest them.
Cheese
We all know the urban myth that you shouldn’t eat cheese before you go to bed as it can give you funky dreams. Well, this is actually shrouded in truth and comes mainly from that fact that fatty foods take ages to digest. This can, of course, cause problems when you’re trying to get to sleep – much like with the broccoli.
Ice cream
Quite why you would want to eat ice cream last thing at night is anyone’s guess, but some people do! So, you need to understand that a bowl of ice cream before bed can play total havoc with your ability to sleep well. Yep, it’s the digestion problem again – but, a further issue with ice cream is the fact that it contains sugar which gives you a spike in energy, and makes sleeping more difficult.
Tea or coffee (with caffeine)
This one is kinda self-explanatory, yet all of us have fallen foul of this mistake at one time or another. Tea and coffee contain caffeine which is pretty much the absolute best thing for keeping you awake at night. The last thing you want to deal with is a tired body, but a mind that is wide awake and won’t let you rest.
Spicy food
We love spicy food, it’s pretty much our favorite thing in the world – but it’s not good to have before you go to bed. Spicy food can sometimes cause indigestion, and this can make it difficult to sleep in a comfortable manner. If you don’t want to be up all night, make sure you avoid the spice before turning in for the night.
Foods high in fat
This kinda fits into the cheese category as well, but it also contains foods like chips, as well as stuff like olive oil and avocado. The problem is that high-fat foods can take an age to digest properly, leaving you feeling bloated and uncomfortable when it’s time to be getting some much-needed sleep.
Alcohol
It goes without saying that alcohol is something you need to try to avoid before you go to sleep at night. In fact, just a couple of glasses of wine can result in a much lighter and more interrupted sleep, and therefore you have less rest and feel more tired the following day.
These are just a few of the foods and drinks you have to make sure you avoid before going to bed. They can play havoc with your circadian rhythm, and will really be detrimental to your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.
