/ Ditch Sleep-Stealing Foods for Happy Dreams

by Neera Chaudhary

Ditch Sleep-Stealing Foods for Happy Dreams

Jan 28, 2014

We all have the occasional sleepless night but sometimes that creeps into becoming actual insomnia or something in between. Having difficulty sleeping or staying asleep on a routine basis can wreak havoc on your daily life. Missing out on nightly zzzs can affect your ability to concentrate, make you feel irritable and exhausted, and even lead to depression. Certain medications, an underlying condition or stress may be the cause but sometimes it can be as simple as the foods you’re eating or when you’re eating. Here are some sleep-stealing foods to avoid and ones that help you snooze.

Cut Caffeine and Avoid Alcohol

This one might seem like an obvious one. But what may not be obvious are the foods secretly containing caffeine. Chocolate, tea, and energy waters like Vitamin Water all contain caffeine. Even decaffeinated coffee has some caffeine, just less than regularly caffeinated coffee. And watch out for that late-night ice cream craving — chocolate and coffee flavours are sure to have caffeine. And even though a couple of cocktails or glasses of wine will make you drowsy, they lead to interrupted sleep. Avoid caffeine and alcohol four to six hours before bedtime so you can easily slip into dreamland.

Don’t Get Spicy

Spicy foods can keep you up at night by irritating your stomach causing acid reflux, heartburn or indigestion. Steer clear of curries, foods with tons of garlic or hot peppers, and dishes with cayenne pepper and chili flakes to avoid a gurgling stomach in the middle of the night.

Go Gasless

Some of the gaseous foods are some of the healthiest but see if avoiding these culprits too close to bedtime helps you get some sleep. Beans, legumes, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are not the best bedfellows because they can produce gas that gets trapped in your digestive system, potentially disturbing you at night. Also, pay attention to how fast you are eating. Eating too fast can cause you to swallow air, resulting in gas too.

Keep Clear of Heavy Meals

Eating a huge meal just before bed can make you bloated and super uncomfortable. This is one of the reasons lunch should be your heaviest meal, so you have the afternoon to metabolize it. A heavy meal close to bedtime might keep you up because your body is working hard to digest it — it’s no easy task. And this might be a no-brainer, but avoid large volumes of liquids right before bed unless you prefer visiting the bathroom instead of visiting dreamland.

It’s Not Just What You Eat, But When You Eat

Late nights at the office, crazy schedules with the kids and weeknight socializing can lead to late dinners or midnight munchies. Eating too close to slumber time is a recipe for staying up. The act of eating boosts your metabolism and charges your body to work so sleep takes a backseat. Get on a sleep-eat schedule and eat at least a few hours before you plan on hitting the sack. And if you haven’t had anything, the best sleep-friendly snack for a rumbling stomach is a light snack made up of a little bit of protein, carbohydrates and calcium.

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_{Neera Chaudhary MHSc PhD (c) RD is a registered dietitian, foodie, culinary goddess and all-around fabulous girl in the kitchen. www.dietitian.ca}

Neera Chaudhary

Author

Neera Chaudhary is always on the lookout for the veritable wellness ingredients to feed your mind, body and soul because she knows beauty starts from the inside out. Neera helps to make sense of the science behind the plethora of prescriptions out there by sharing the essential elements for a heal...