Good sleep is the guarantee for a productive day and also for good health in the long term. It’s often the little things that rob you of your sleep, habits that you don’t even think about. Some foods, for example, can lead to sleep disorders if eaten too late in the evening. If you avoid these, you’ll find that you’ll suddenly sleep a lot better. We present five foods that can rob you of sleep.
Food-related sleep disturbances
Most people sleep less than the recommended 7 to 8 hours. Some because they just go to bed too late. Others because they spend the recommended amount of time in bed, but instead of sleeping they fight insomnia.
There are many reasons that can lead to insomnia: worries, fears, illnesses, grief, lack of vital substances, medication, disturbances in the hormone or serotonin balance, the thriller before going to bed – or simply the wrong foods that you ate during the day and who scare sleep away at night.
Five foods that can lead to insomnia
Of course, avoiding the following foods cannot immediately and comprehensively eliminate the existing sleep disorders in everyone. But in any case you will eliminate an important disruptive factor that contributes to your personal insomnia.
Tomatoes make you sick
Tomatoes or any dish containing tomatoes (including tomato sauces and soups) can disrupt sleep. Cooked tomatoes are considered to be acidic, which can lead to heartburn in people with sensitive stomachs – especially when lying down ( 1 ).
On the other hand, raw tomatoes (or generally raw food in the evening) are difficult to digest and can also lead to discomfort and insomnia, especially if they are not chewed extensively.
Avoid spicy foods
Spicy foods can also lead to heartburn with reflux. They also heat up the body from the inside. But a heated body cannot sleep. Therefore, make sure to give your body a little time to cool down before bed ( 2 ).
Sugared foods can interfere with sleep
Sugar causes blood sugar fluctuations. The level initially rises, which stimulates you and makes it difficult to fall asleep. An hour or two later, your blood sugar level suddenly drops, causing you to wake up.
It is therefore better not to eat anything with sugar in the hours before going to bed or other foods that affect the blood sugar level as quickly as sugar. This includes any foods with a high glycemic load, such as: white flour dishes, honey, maple syrup, canned fruit, biscuits, cornflakes, jam, cocoa drinks, puffed rice, popcorn etc.
Caffeine disrupts sleep
It’s nothing new that caffeine interferes with sleep. Still, many people fail to realize that not only coffee but also many soft drinks contain caffeine, which often makes it impossible to fall asleep and keeps you from being ready to sleep well into the night.
Of course, there are also people who sleep wonderfully despite the caffeine. However, people who are sensitive to caffeine should avoid caffeinated drinks or food six hours before going to bed.
Alcohol inhibits sleep
Many people believe that a glass of red wine in the evening helps them “wind down” and fall asleep faster. Although you can actually fall asleep quickly and easily thanks to alcohol, but the sleep is not really restful ( 4 ).
After drinking alcohol in the evening, you often wake up in the middle of the night and can no longer fall asleep. This is because alcohol once digested and in the blood, stimulates the brain and then inhibits sleep.
Better avoid sleep-disturbing foods
So if you generally avoid sleep-disrupting foods such as sweets, caffeine and alcohol, you will not only feel better overall, but you will also be able to sleep much more rested.
If you also eat neither raw food nor spicy foods in the evening, this will help you to spend the night without disturbing your sleep.
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