Never eat these foods before bed

Let’s face it, sometimes you feel a little hungry late evening and think nothing of going to the fridge and indulging. However, there is a downside. Eating late will disrupt your sleep pattern and you might also gain weight. I found a recent article on mindthemunchies.com which talks about foods you should never eat before bedtime. I have added as a bonus a short article on foods you can eat that have an added benefit of relaxing your muscles, body, and mind, enabling you to drift off and sleep like a baby. Check out the article below to learn more.

Image: Flickr

1. Cheese

According to folklore, eating cheese before bed gives you nightmares. Whilst the jury’s out on cheese-induced dreams, there’s another reason you shouldn’t tuck in before sleeping. Cheese is literally solidified fat, which is incredibly moreish and easy to pig out on. Sleep is a time for restoration. The last thing your body needs is a gutful of cheese – which is complicated to digest, and uses up valuable metabolic energy.

2. Spicy food
If you can sleep with a stomach-load of chillies, then you’re probably not human. Spicy food triggers various stimulants, which makes going to sleep very difficult. It also irritates your gastrointestinal system, causing heart burn, indigestion and diarrhoea. Try getting a good night sleep with that.

3. Diuretics
Diuretic foods stimulate your kidneys, causing your body to excrete more water. The upshot is obvious. Unless you want to spend all night in the bathroom, don’t eat vegetables like celery and asparagus before bedtime. Save them for more sociable hours.
4. Red meat
Unless you’re a tiger, you shouldn’t be eating meat as a late night snack. Red meat is filled with protein and fats, which are a serious effort to digest.  Remember what we said about cheese? Well, it’s the same story. So, if you don’t want to wake up with a gassy, cramped stomach, keep your carnivorous instincts in check.
5. Sugary treats
Sometimes, our cravings get the best of us, but don’t let this happen the wrong side of midnight. Sugary foods cause a rise in blood sugar, followed by a dramatic crash, which plays havoc with sleep patterns. If you’re desperate for a fix, settle for an apple. That should keep your sweet tooth satisfied
6. Wine
Alcohol of any kind is “terrible” for sleep, says Rosenberg. Why? It metabolizes quickly in your system and causes you to wake up multiple times during the night.
One study found that a glass of bourbon or vodka mixed with caffeine-free soda at bedtime increased the amount of time women spent awake during the night by 15 minutes. It also reduced nightly sleep time by 19 minutes and diminished quality of sleep.

If you don’t refrain from alcohol for our own benefit, do it for your mate. “Alcohol makes snoring worse so it will impact you and your potential bed partner,” said Rosenberg.

It would be a bit unfair not to discuss the foods you can eat without troubling your sleep.If found a useful article at Health.Com discussing the best foods you can eat when you’re feeling a bit hungry before bedtime. These foods may actually give you a good night’s sleep too.

1. Cherries

Cherries are one of the few natural foods to contain melatonin, the chemical that helps control our body’s internal clock, says Keri Gans, a registered dietician in New York City and author of The Small Change Diet.
One study—albeit a small one—found that drinking tart cherry juice resulted in small improvements in sleep duration and quality in adults who suffered from chronic insomnia. (And travelers often take melatonin capsules to combat jet lag).
Why not a few cherries, tart or otherwise, to promote sleep?
Check out my recent article on tart cherry juice.

2.  Milk

You may have fond memories of your mother or grandmother making you a glass of warm milk to help you fall asleep.
This may not be just an old wives’ tale. Milk contains the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to the brain chemical serotonin.
Although the topic is a controversial one, some people believe that tryptophan and serotonin might make it easier to sleep. Or maybe  a simple glass of milk brings back soothing childhood memories, which help you drift off.
Tip: Try almond milk if you cannot have diary or prefer non-diary.

3.  Bananas

Bananas help promote sleep because they contain the natural muscle-relaxants magnesium and potassium, says Gans. They’re also carbs which will help make you sleepy as well.
In fact, bananas are a win-win situation in general. “They’re overall health promoters,” says Rosenberg. “We need potassium for cardiovascular health and cognitive functioning.”

4.  Turkey

Like milk, turkey contains tryptophan, a chemical that can make people doze off in front of the TV after Thanksgiving dinner. But if you’re a die-hard insomniac, a meal’s worth of turkey (or a glass of milk) isn’t likely to help you.
“You’d have to drink a lot of milk or turkey to have a major effect,” says Rosenberg. “[But] if you need a little bit of a push in the right direction [it might help].”

5.  Sweet potato

Sweet potatoes are a sleeper’s dream. Not only do they provide sleep-promoting complex carbohydrates, they also contain that muscle-relaxant potassium. 
Other good sources of potassium include regular potatoes (baked and keep the skin on), lima beans, and papaya.

Source:
mindthemunchies.com
health.com