The foods you should never eat just before bed if you want a good night’s sleep

As we enter the long-awaited spring months, the clocks have turned forward and the days are finally getting longer. After the long toil of winter, the brighter nights might have spoiled our nightly routines. But did you know that what we eat before bed can affect our quality of sleep?

Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important to your overall health. It can lower your risk of developing certain chronic diseases, keep your brain healthy, and boost your immune system. But for those of us who enjoy a little snack before bed, there are certain things we should avoid eating before falling asleep. We spoke to a London nutritionist for the best advice.

READ MORE:The best and worst breakfast foods if you’re desperate to lose weight, according to a nutritionist

The worst foods and drinks to consume

caffeine and sugar

It sounds obvious, but sometimes we need to be reminded. Caffeine is a stimulant, which is the opposite of what you want when setting yourself up for a restful sleep. And sugar gives you energy, which is not ideal when we want to relax.

British and registered television presenter Nutritional therapist Thalia Pellegrini, 46, explained: “Sugar and caffeine interfere with blood sugar. Our blood sugar falls naturally at night anyway, but anything that causes a big drop during the night could wake you up.” or make you feel bad in the morning.

Be sure to check nutrition labels. Many foods contain caffeine, even when you don’t expect it. Tea and soft drinks are usually caffeinated unless otherwise noted.

Caffeine and sugar make it harder to get into deeper stages of sleep and decrease the amount of REM sleep you’d normally get.

Sugary foods like ice cream and candy cause blood sugar levels to spike at first, then plummet while you sleep. A drop in blood sugar alerts the adrenal glands that there is an emergency, which, in turn, increases cortisol levels and wakes the body from sleep.

Alcohol

A few beers, a couple of glasses of wine, or a nightcap may seem to help you fall asleep. However, alcohol, especially in excess, can be harmful before bed.

“Alcohol will probably help you fall asleep,” Thalia said. “But it disrupts the natural sleep cycle later in the night. This can decrease the amount of restful REM sleep you get. Even if you fall asleep quickly, you won’t wake up feeling rested.”

Drinking alcohol relaxes all the muscles in your body, which can exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea and snoring, which can constantly wake you up at night. All of this is before taking into account the “hanging anxiety” that alcohol can cause the next day, which can prevent you from falling asleep.

Chips

Too much salt dehydrates the body and increases water retention, causing tiredness and fatigue.

A study by the European Society of Endocrinology found that salty foods, such as potato chips and salted nuts, were some of the worst foods to eat before bed, contributing to disrupted or “shallow” sleep. Experts recommend staying away from salty foods at least two to three hours before bed if you need a good night’s sleep.

And if nothing else, waking up for a glass of water is just an absolute pain.

The best food to eat before bed

If you feel a little peckish before bed, there are some nutritionist-approved snacks.

Thalía said: “I always recommend something small: some oatmeal cake, carrots and hummus, chicken or cold turkey. They are great because they help to sleep tryptophan, which helps us sleep.”

Tryptophan is one of many amino acids found in foods that contain protein. Research has shown that increasing tryptophan in the blood directly increases both serotonin and melatonin, both feel-good hormones that improve our sleep-wake cycle and the quality and quantity of our sleep.

Cherries are known to be one of the best sleep foods as they naturally contain melatonin. Eating cherries as a snack or drinking cherry juice can help promote longer and deeper sleep

Bananas are a great food in general, but if you usually have a banana for breakfast, you may want to think about enjoying this exotic fruit before bed.

They are one of the best foods for sleep, due to their high levels of magnesium that relax muscles and calm the body. Try sliced ​​banana with a tablespoon of natural nut butter before bed if you’re looking for a good night’s sleep.

When should I eat at night?

Eating a meal too close to bedtime can impair your sleep, especially if it’s a large amount of food. As a general rule, nutritionists will tell you to wait about three hours between your last meal and bedtime.

This allows some digestion to occur and gives time for the contents of your stomach to move into your small intestine.

Eating also triggers the release of insulin, a hormone that helps the body use food for energy. This process can change your circadian rhythm, or your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Food can signal wakefulness in the brain and interfere with your ability to fall asleep.

But if after you’ve eaten you need a bedtime snack, just make sure it’s not one of the banned foods listed above. Sweet Dreams.

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