Eating before bed does not do anything good for our bodies according to nutritionist and dieticians. While you are sleeping your food still has to be digested and that can cause some interruptions in your night of rest. Disruptions can be nightmares, stomach aches or even trips to the bathroom. The good folks at the Food Network compiled a list of 8 food items you should avoid eating right before bedtime.
Most would say pizza is delicious! The tomato sauce used on the pizza is high in acid and can cause your stomach to be upset. This can lead to trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night and the cheese toppings can actually cause nightmares. Plus, going to bed with that food in your stomach can lead to unwanted calories adding pounds to your body as you sleep.
They say not to consume caffeine to close to bedtime if it effects your sleep. Avoiding coffee 6 hours prior to heading to bed can help you fall asleep faster.
Stay away from cereal. Sugar digests rapidly and should be avoided. Since sugary cereals will increase your blood sugar levels that could in turn effect your sleep hormones and cause lighter sleep.
We all know spicy foods can mess with your stomach. Creating issues that might cause you to run to the bathroom at night and increase the chance for having heartburn.
Soda can be a double dose with caffeine and sugar. Even diet pops still have carbonation which can lead to sleep issues.
Alcohol disrupts your natural sleep patterns. A glass of wine or two might sound like a good idea but might cause you to wake up in the middle of the night to go pee.
Orange juice is high in acidity and can make heartburn worse. They say eating the fruit is a much better option before bed since it has carbohydrates that can help you sleep better. The added fiber helps slow down the absorption of sugar.
Last but not least, burgers. You will overload your digestive tract with a heavy, fatty meal which can cause lighter sleep as well.
According to a study done by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, low fiber, high saturated fat and sugars can cause your sleep to not be as efficient. This could then cause more arousals at night leading to less restorative sleep.
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