What Foods Can Disrupt Your Sleeping?

Late dinners and late night snacking may be affecting your sleep more than you realize. Around 70 million American adults complain about some form of sleeplessness, and many don’t even recognize that they may be sabotaging their own sleep. Here are a few foods that you should stay away from in the evenings (three or so hours before bedtime), as they can significantly disrupt your sleep, leaving you groggy and exhausted come morning. Also feel free to to view our post of foods that help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Chocolate

Dark chocolate has many health benefits, but unfortunately, helping you sleep is not one of them. Due to the high levels of caffeine in dark chocolate, consuming it within a few hours of bedtime will keep you up longer than you wish.

Chili

Particularly if it contains beans, beef, and a spicy kick, chili should not be eaten close to bedtime. Between heartburn, gas, and an unruly digestive process, chili is best consumed several hours before you try to sleep, if not much earlier in the day.

Broccoli or Cauliflower

Vegetables are generally always good, but they should be consumed several hours before you try to sleep. While they contain some sleep-inducing chemicals, their high fiber content will keep your body working and digesting for several hours, making it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep on your mattress.

Tomatoes & Tomato-Based Foods

Aside from the acidity that can bring about heartburn and an upset stomach, tomatoes also contain an amino acid that tells your brain to release norepinephrine, which is known to boost your brain’s activity and keep you from falling asleep.

Alcohol

Viewed as a good solution to help you fall asleep, alcohol does more harm than good when consumed close to bedtime. It reduces the amount of REM sleep, keeping your body from repairing and restoring itself properly, as well as keeping you from getting the high-quality sleep you need to feel rested the next day.