Sleeplessness and insomnia are serious problems, but are you contributing to the problem by eating foods that are actually keeping you awake?
There are certain chemicals in foods that react with the body to release energy and ultimately induce insomnia.
1. Oats
According to professional Dr. Robert Kwok of Health Tap Inc., oats contribute to feelings of sleeplessness because of their high fiber content, even though they also contain melatonin, which actually works in the body to induce fatigue. Individuals eating oats just before bedtime don’t digest this food properly, which leads to problems with gas and heartburn.
2. Vegetables
Vegetables such as beans, broccoli and even garlic can be tricky to digest, which means that after eating them just before bedtime, you can be kept up by problems with gas. Leafy vegetables make people urinate more frequently, thus keeping them up all night with incessant trips to the bathroom.
3. Red Meat
It’s not a good idea to eat red meat later in the evening because your body needs time to digest this food so it just ends up sitting in your stomach the entire night. If you must eat meals containing protein later in the evening, stick to the lighter options, such as turkey.
4. Ice Cream
Just about everyone loves ice cream, but this treat contains so much sugar, as well as carbohydrates that it stimulates your brain and keeps you up long after your bedtime has come and gone.
5. Alcohol
The American Heart Association has recommended that women stick to one drink per day, while men can push it to two. You will still want to cut it out before bedtime.
6. Spicy Meals
According to the International Journal of Psychology, spicy foods not only contribute to stomach related discomfort when eaten before bedtime, but also stimulate a person enough to keep them awake.
7. Sugars And Carbs
Any food that has a high sugar or carbohydrate content should be avoided just before bedtime, says the National Institute of Health. This is particularly because these foods raise the blood-sugar levels, which interrupts up your sleeping patterns.
8. Fatty Foods
Fatty and greasy foods can be difficult for the body to digest, especially when these are combined with high acidic foods, such as the tomato base on a pizza. Ultimately, the stomach will end up spending the entire night trying to digest the meal if it’s eaten too late in the evening. And you’ll suffer the consequences.
9. Dark Chocolate
Since dark chocolate contains caffeine, as well as phenylethylamine, theobromine and anadamide (which are all stimulants), it is best that you leave this treat until the morning.
10. Caffeine
Anything that contains caffeine should be avoided in the evening, and in some cases in the late afternoon, since the effects of this stimulant can be quite long lasting for some people.
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Wow this list is shocking who would have known
Thanks for this very informative article. God bless you more!
Since I refuse to sleep, I'll just eat red meat and chocolate all night.
Well, let’s see…you’ve got fats, carbs (oats and other grains) and high sugar foods (fruits), and meat off the list, veggies, greens, desserts like ice cream and/or chocolate, and drinks…alcohol. I don’t think there is anything left on the list to eat in the evenings. Guess I’ll just eat what I usually eat…..
That's almost everything, then!
As Sybil Lee said It’s almost everything; I better just keep it simple and have a light dinner with no energy mixed in it.
Yes I can see what you mean about the eating and sleepless nights most foods got additives in it and that must be trouble for all of us , we don't know what are in our foods or drinks.
My husband has a lot of trouble sleeping most of the time – and this article has given me some things to tell him about. He is a heavy coffee drinker, plus he likes a klondike ice cream after supper. He also eats oatmeal for breakfast EVERY morning (but I guess breakfast wouldn't bother him about sleep) Thanks! Maybe if I can get him to believe this information – he will sleep better!
As long as I can remember I have had a problem with staying asleep, I can fall asleep in an instant, but as soon as my body has had “ENOUGH REST” (usually 5-6 hours) it wakes up and is ready for the next episode of life. That has been a pattern since childhood and continues even today. I don’t wake feeling tired, cranky or irritable only ready to get on with what I want or have to do the next day.
I have tried all of the recommended treatments but “Refuse To Take Sleeping Pills Of Any Description”, I do drink Camomile Tea before bedtime and do not have caffeine after midday, but I do drink coffee occasionally, maybe after I eat a light lunch, but mostly I drink water.
I consulted with a sleep “GURU” many years ago, who told me that I was of “The Warrior Class”, whatever that means, he said it is an “Autonomic Reflex” to having a mind that is always ready for combat or action.
I was a soldier for many years so I guess that “Might Explain Why”.
However all things being equal, I live with it and it is a part of my life that I am able to cope with. I am not a garbage eater, I don’t eat or live on takeaway food, we cook regular meals in our household and I’m pretty healthy apart from middle age spread as I’ve become older. I still ride a bike daily 40 kilometres in an hour and a half and do my own gardening etc.
We’re all different and a lot of Hoo Haa is spoken about such things, some of us must be destined to live a certain way, one of my elders once said, “The Hand Your Dealt Is The One You Have To Learn To Play”, so in my book I deal with what I have….?
I cannot avoid all these foods but it is good to walk in the evening to have a nice sleep in the night.
Amanda Enriquez
Normally, your blood glucose levels increase slightly after you eat. This increase causes your pancreas to release insulin so that your blood glucose levels do not get too high. Blood glucose levels that remain high over time can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels.`^.,