Picture this: It’s late at night and you want to go to sleep, but the growl in your stomach has different ideas. Before you get to bed, you hunt through your kitchen and prepare yourself a late night feast. We’ve all been there before – eating a meal right before bed. Sometimes these late night meals can’t be avoided, and sometimes we just prefer to eat later in the day. Understandable as your reasoning might be, your body might have cause to protest, because eating before bed can have a huge impact on your sleep schedule.
However, it’s not necessarily a matter of when you eat, more so a matter of what you eat. Some foods can help you sleep better and some can make it hard for you to fall asleep. For example: Foods rich in carbohydrates are great sleep aids, because they produce serotonin in the brain. Serotonin calms the brain, thus resulting in easier sleep.
If you really want to throw your sleep schedule off (which we don’t recommend), stick with sweets, preserved meats and spicy foods. These foods are rarely a good idea right before bed. Sweets and foods loaded with caffeine are likely to make you toss and turn, while preserved meats and spicy foods can cause bodily distress, keeping you awake longer.
Despite popular opinion, alcohol is also harmful to your sleep schedule. Though it acts as a relaxant, it will prevent your body from going into deep slumber, which is where the beneficial effects of sleep take place. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It’s not our fault, it’s science!
It’s okay if you’re someone who enjoys a fulfilling meal before bed, but be conscious of the foods that are going to keep you up at night. If you’re interested in other ways to sleep better, contact us and we’ll be sure to lead you to a better night’s sleep!