Never eat steak before bed, ditch evening chocolate & seven other foods you should avoid for a good night’s sleep
STRUGGLING to sleep? Your dinner may be to blame.
Results of a new study in Norway found that just one caffeine-packed energy drink a month raised the risk of sleep problems in 18-35 year-olds.
The potent beverages are well known for giving you a buzz, but other nighttime disturbers may come as a surprise.
Laura Stott checks out unexpected culprits that can prevent you counting sheep.
Hot sauce
Chilli based condiments usually contain hot spices such as capsicum – the posh name for potent peppers – which can raise our body temperature and irritate our insides, potentially causing heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion.
This makes it more uncomfortable to lie down, leaving you tossing and turning at night.
Tomato soup
All tomatoes are also extremely acidic, which can elevate PH levels, potentially trigger heartburn, infuriate your stomach lining and if eaten too close to turning in can badly disrupt kip.
Watch out for anything containing copious amounts, including sauces, salads or even a Spag Bol.
Chocolate
A FEW pieces of choccie might seem harmless, but caffeine levels in the treat can be high.
The greater the coca percentage, the more disruptive your bar will be.
The 70 per cent options can contain 60mg of caffeine, similar to sipping a small Americano. This will stay in your system for hours and leave you buzzing at bedtime.
Water
Glugging fluids before switching out the lights means a full bladder and then inevitable sleep pauses to empty it.
Stop sipping two hours before bedtime to prevent overnight bathroom interruptions.
Steak
Our digestive systems slow down by up to 50 per cent overnight so high protein meats, especially fatty ones such as chops, burgers and ribs will take an especially long time to break down.
And as your stomach works extra hard to do so, you’ll struggle to drift off.
Sushi
Foods made with fermented soy products, such as dipping sauce, miso soups, tofu and teriyaki style marinades contain high levels of the amino acid tyramine, a natural stimulant that facilitates brain activity, so it will keep you awake and alert.
Smoothies
Ready-made blended drinks can be far higher in sugar than plain juices, sometime containing as much as four spoons of the white stuff.
This can cause your glucose levels to spike and then drop rapidly so while at first you might drop off quickly, you won’t sleep deeply and will probably face a restless night ahead.
Broccoli
THE green vet is best consumed in moderation before you nod off.
The green stalks, along with other cruciferous veggies such as cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, kale and other brassicas – even coleslaw – are packed with slow-to-digest insoluble fibre.
Great for our gut health but processing them can cause excess wind and gas, which might keep you – and anyone sharing the duvet with you – wide awake.
Sausages
Preserved meats such as Pepperoni, ham, other cold cuts and even sausages can also cause the same slumber disturbances.
All contain prominent levels of amino acids which make us feel alert, so can cause vivid dreams and restlessness overnight.
Additional high fat and sodium levels will also impact Zzz’s.