What not to eat before bed
A heavy, fatty meal like a burger gets your digestive tract working hard, which can be disruptive if you are trying to get to sleep. Stock Photo
You might know which foods to eat in order to sleep well, but which foods should be avoided for a better night’s sleep? We look at some of them.
It is advisable to eat a fruit or drink a glass of milk an hour or even 30 minutes before going to bed. However, if you eat a large meal within an hour or two before going to bed, the food will stay in the stomach and the body will need a lot of energy to break it down since the digestive system needs to rest and embark on its detoxifying duty.
Eating heavy meals and some kinds of food could be the reason you are not getting good quality sleep and wake up in the morning feeling tired.
Coffee and tea
Lilian Nyanzi, a nutritionist at Neulife Medical Centre, Bweyogerere, says taking a cup of coffee in the night may not be a good option for you. This is because coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant high doses of which will impact on your sleep. Instead of coffee, a warm glass of milk can be helpful if you have a hard time getting to sleep.
Spiced foods
Eating spiced food right before going to sleep is thought to lead to sleeplessness because it raises the body’s metabolism and brain activity. These foods stimulate your taste buds which irritate the stomach causing a heartburn which can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep.
“Eating spicy foods too close to bed time increases acidity levels in the stomach which worsen symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
The foods are also known to raise your body temperature and make you restless during sleep. This is because of the capsaicin ingredient in chili affects sleep through changes in body temperature,” Nyanzi says. She adds that you should also avoid taking soda since the sugar is not only unhealthy but a stimulant that is linked to shallower and less restful sleep.
Alcohol
While a glass of beer may initially make you sleepy, alcohol actually disrupts natural sleep patterns. Regularly consuming alcohol before bedtime worsens sleep quality because you will interrupt your sleep to go to the toilet.
“Eating processed, deep fried and fatty foods before sleeping means you are putting a burden on the digestive system and the liver. These fatty foods cause sleep disruption since the liver and kidneys are being overworked,” she warns.
Fatty foods also take a lot of time to be digested. They are very appropriate for the day but in the night, the body will require a lot of energy to break them down. This will give you discomfort while you sleep. Like the greasy foods, heavy carbohydrates, red meat and other proteins stay in your stomach and make it hard for you to fall asleep. These will tire your kidneys and make you feel fatigued in the morning.
Acidic foods
Many people suffer from acid reflux but they do not know it. The commonest symptom is a burning sensation in your throat.
Lilian Nyanzi, a nutritionist at Neulife Medical Centre, Bweyogerere, says, “Acid reflux happens because the normal seal that keeps the contents of your stomach from bubbling up into your oesophagus and throat does not do its job properly. Lying down makes the problem worse. So it is not advisable to eat acidic foods before sleep.”
