Top foods you should not eat before going to bed

Caffeinated beverages

Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that works by blocking adenosine, a chemical that promotes sleep. Drinking these beverages before bed can make you feel alert, jittery, cause insomnia, or reduce the quality of deep sleep. The effects of caffeine can last for hours, so stop consuming them at least 6-8 hours before bedtime.

Illustration photo. (Photo source: Internet)

Fatty and fried foods

Foods high in saturated fat, such as fried foods, fatty meats, or fast food, take longer to digest than any other food group. The digestive system has to work hard when the body should be resting, leading to bloating, indigestion, and acid reflux. This heartburn and discomfort will directly disrupt your sleep.

Spicy foods, strong spices

When consuming spicy foods, the stomach is stimulated, so it contracts more strongly, especially the phenomenon of belching is also very likely to occur. Moreover, the compound capsaicin in chili also has the ability to increase body temperature. This change in temperature can hinder the natural cooling process that the body needs to transition to a state of rest and deep sleep.

Foods high in sugar

Desserts, candy, and ice cream are indirect sleep-deprivation foods. High sugar intake causes blood sugar to spike, disrupting sleep-regulating hormones like melatonin. Research also shows that consuming a lot of sugar before bed can cause blood sugar spikes in the middle of the night, making you wake up easily and reducing sleep quality.

Red meat and protein are difficult to digest.

Red meats, although rich in nutrients, contain a significant amount of protein and fat, which requires a long digestion process. When you eat them late at night, your stomach has to work overtime all night. This digestive burden not only causes discomfort and bloating, but also prevents the body from fully relaxing, negatively affecting sleep.

Juicy and diuretic fruits

Certain juicy fruits and vegetables like watermelon, cucumber, or celery have natural diuretic properties. Consuming them close to bedtime will increase the frequency of urination at night. Waking up multiple times to relieve yourself will disrupt your deep sleep cycle, leaving you tired the next morning.

Beer and alcoholic beverages

Many people mistakenly think that alcohol helps them sleep, but in fact, it only causes an initial state of drowsiness. Alcohol is considered a powerful nervous system stimulant, causing subsequent sleep pattern disorders. It reduces the time of REM sleep (restorative sleep), making you sleep less deeply and wake up easily. Alcohol also increases respiratory problems such as snoring and sleep apnea.

Suggestions for using food before going to bed

According to experts, combining complex carbs with protein or a little healthy fat is considered the top choice for a pre-bedtime menu.

Recommended complex carbs include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These representatives will provide adequate energy, helping you sleep well and steadily throughout the night.

In addition, protein in milk or dairy products, fat in olive oil, canola oil, ... or nutritious nuts also help the stomach feel better. When consuming the above ingredients, blood sugar will be maintained at an ideal value, not dropping sharply when waking up every morning.

In particular, many studies also confirm that when you eat a snack, your blood sugar will gradually increase and make you sleepy quickly. This is because complex carbs activate the transport of tryptophan, an amino acid that can be quickly converted into a neurotransmitter, actively participating in the process of nerve inhibition. Helping us to easily have deep sleep.

In addition, the presence of unsaturated fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 also helps you improve the quality of sleep very effectively. You can consume the above ingredients by using some nutritious nuts or directly using the oil extracted from this ingredient.

According to experts, an ideal meal before going to bed would be a cup of yogurt, an apple and some peanut butter or a few whole grain crackers, a small piece of turkey and some cheese.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/top-thuc-pham-khong-nen-an-truoc-khi-di-ngu.900843.html