The foods you better not eat if you want to sleep well
For those who fall asleep like a log before midnight and then sleep undisturbed until the alarm goes off eight hours later: hats off. Me, on the other hand, cannot relate. I can only clap my hands if I’m asleep before midnight, let alone get a night’s sleep of at least seven hours without at least two bathroom breaks to take.
The reason why I have such a hard time falling asleep? It might be because of my meager beauty sleep, almost every day, a nap during the day, or the fact that I find it hard to resist an alcoholic treat on the terrace. But research has shown that poor sleep can also be caused by another major factor: your eating pattern. Nutrition is actually what could very well be the culprit for your nightly reboot. So let me help you out: to actually hit that eight hours of sleep from now on, I highly recommend saving the following foods for another time.
Spicy food
Rest assured: a hot curry now and then can do little harm, but do keep in mind that it shouldn’t be too spicy for your taste. Besides the fact that you might spend the whole evening in the bathroom, eating spicier food than you’re used to is not ideal for your sleep rhythm. Spicy foods increase the acidity in your stomach, which can lead your brain to wake up excessively often. Plus: spicy food gives you a warmer feeling. That can be nice, until you find yourself flipping your pillow every minute and your blanket suddenly feels like a glowing heater.
Tomato sauce
Anything that contains tomato sauce (including pizzas and pastas) is better avoided. Unfortunately, I know. Just like spicy food, tomato sauce also triggers that annoying acid reflux. Foods with high salt content and a lot of fat (take a salami pizza or a hamburger with ketchup as an example) also take longer to digest. Double trouble.
Vitamin water
You know, those bottles of colored Sourcy that fly off the shelves in every sports canteen. Quite nice for when you’re fed up with the taste of water. A small downside is that it’s a bomb of caffeine. And if there’s one thing you want to avoid for a smooth night’s sleep, it’s that.
Milk
Another drink you’d better save for during the day: a glass of milk. The lactose in milk can, once again, cause a nauseous feeling that makes it harder for you to fall asleep. Can’t resist it? Then drink a glass of lactose-free plant-based milk and you’re safe.
Peppermint
After eating a whole bulb of garlic, a Smint after the meal is nice for yourself and your fellow man. But let’s be honest: that garlic breath will stick with you. You definitely won’t get fresh breath from it, and besides, you’ll also sleep a lot less well because of it. Peppermint is actually a trigger for acid reflux, a link that not many people know. So there you have it.
Ice cream
That bowl of vanilla ice cream after dinner? Not a wise idea. Besides the fact that it contains lactose, ice cream is a goldmine of sugars. This high sugar content can cause fluctuations in your blood sugar levels, increase the chance of stomach pain, and keep you awake longer at night. Want to really go overboard? Then have chocolate ice cream. You might not have known this yet, at least I didn’t, but chocolate contains caffeine. Skip that stuff.
Image: elinwarn
