Bread
Eating bread before you hit the hay will only result in a poor night’s sleep, leaving you feeling groggy the next morning. Bread – particularly white bread – can cause your blood sugar to spike, giving you a rush of sudden energy – not ideal if you’re looking to slip into a peaceful slumber.
Chocolate
Feasting on heaps of chocolate is a fast-track way to ensure you barely get a wink of shut-eye. Chocolate is extremely high in sugar, sugar that seeps into your bloodstream and will keep you staring at the ceiling into the early hours. Sugary foods are also known to increase your risk of experiencing nightmares, so it’s best to save your sweet treat for the daytime.
Grapefruit
Just because they’re healthy, it doesn’t mean you should be snacking on them before bedtime. Grapefruit’s high acidity can cause irritating, sleep-reducing heartburn, particularly if consumed on an empty stomach. The fruit will also struggle to leave your oesophagus while you’re laying down, creating further gastric problems.
Burgers
Delicious as they may be, it’s best to eat burgers as far away from bedtime as possible. Their high fat levels are difficult for your body to break down, resulting in gurgling guts in the early hours of the night and uncomfortable bloating levels when you awaken.
Ice cream
Foods high in sugar, such as ice cream, shouldn’t be consumed for around five hours before you plan on hitting the hay. Your sugar levels will crash as you slumber, altering the adrenals in your body that there is a potential emergency, resulting in a broken and disturbed sleep.
Pasta
Another carb, another food to avoid. Eating pasta before snoozing will activate your fat storage system, with your body clinging to the consumed fat throughout the night, leaving you feeling bloated and uncomfortable the next morning. As tempting as pasta may be in the late hours, it’s not worth the pain the next day.
Coffee
Of course, you can’t drink heaps of coffee at night and expect to sleep well. Despite any coffee cravings, it’s recommended that you stop drinking caffeine four to six hours before you go to bed. If you’re particularly sensitive to the stimulant, you may want to consider cutting out caffeine even earlier in the day.
Cheese
While it’s still up for debate as to whether cheese actually gives us nightmares, there are other reasons to avoid the dairy product. Cheese – particularly strong or aged cheeses – contains high levels of the amino acid tyramine, a compound that keeps both our minds and bodies alert… Not ideal if you’re looking for a peaceful sleep.
Tomatoes
Though they may be good for your health, they’re bad for your sleep. Tomatoes increase brain activity, making it harder to drift into a peaceful slumber. Their high acid content also means that you may also experience bouts of uncomfortable acid reflux if you eat the sweet salad right before hitting the hay.
Soda
The combination of caffeine and sugar make soda one of the worst things to consume before bed, with both overstimulating your internal system. Even if you opt for a sugar-free, caffeine-free option, the additives and bubbles from the carbonation can still result in a disturbed snooze, meaning it’s best to avoid the drinks entirely.
Peppermint
Forget those after-dinner treats – they can severely impact your quality of sleep. Peppermint is a prime heartburn trigger, leading to frequent, painful wake-ups throughout the night. Peppermint tea can aid in drifting off, though it’s best avoided by those who are prone to bouts of heartburn.
Nachos
There’s nothing better than a late-night gauge on some nachos… apart from waking up bloat-free, that is! Munching on nachos before you go to sleep will result in stomach issues the next day, including bloating, stomach pain, and gastric reflux, along with general feelings of fatigue.
Cereal
Late-night cereal is a staple of many households, but you may want to think twice before you next reach for the box. Most cereals are full of sugar, resulting in a broken, disturbed sleep. If you do opt for cereal before bedtime, look for with brands less than five grams of sugar per serving.
Hot sauce
Hot sauce is pumped with capsaicin, a chemical that raises your body’s overall temperature, making it harder to drift off. Spicy sauces can also cause indigestion, heartburn, and overall discomfort, making it almost impossible to get a full eight hours of shut-eye without any unwanted interruptions.
Candy
Eating high quantities of sugar at nighttime will overstimulate your body, leading to nothing but broken sleep. When you consume sugar, your pancreas releases insulin, helping the sugar to be taken back into your cells. Therefore, snacking on candies before snoozing isn’t just bad for your quality of sleep, it’s also detrimental to your overall health.
Bacon
Fatty foods are a big no-no if you’re looking for a tranquil slumber – that, unfortunately, includes bacon. A 100-gram serving of bacon has a huge 37.1 grams of total fat content, making it particularly hard for your body to break down overnight. Opt for sugar-free, fat-free snacks for a more peaceful sleep.
Smoothies
Many people think that drinking smoothies before they sleep is good for you, filling your body full of vitamins. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Not only will you experience frequent wake-ups, you’ll also pump your blood with high levels of sugar, putting you at a higher risk of diabetes.
Hot peppers
Any hot or spicy foods should be avoided before bedtime, but you should particularly steer clear of hot peppers. Along with raising your body temperature, you’ll be at a higher risk of experiencing indigestion, acid reflux, and stomach pain. Restrict yourself to consuming hot peppers only during the day – you’ll sleep much better for it.
Steak
Consuming meat before bed can lead to many long-term effects, such as weight gain and heart issues. Eating a juicy steak right before you snooze will also lead to a highly broken sleep, with your body working overtime to digest the fatty meat. Ensure you leave a good few hours between eating steak and hitting the hay.
Chips
We’re all guilty of feasting on some chips in bed from time to time, but it can adversely affect your quality of sleep. Studies have shown that consuming foods that are high in fat and grease before bed can lead to increased nightmares, alongside bringing a whole slew of digestive issues.
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is good for you – just not of an evening. The high fiber content can make you both bloated and gassy, keeping you awake throughout the night with painful stomach cramps. Wait until the morning to eat the sweet snack to keep any digestive issues at bay.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol before you go to sleep is one of the worst things you can do for your health. Not only will it lead to severe levels of dehydration, but it may also cause breathing issues. Alcohol relaxes your muscles, including your airways, resulting in a much higher risk of sleep apnea. The sugar content in most alcoholic drinks is a known sleep disruptor too.
Ketchup
This zesty sauce combines two sleep-interrupting compounds: sugar and acid. Pairing them together results in a heartburn-fueled slumber, along with numerous unwanted wake-ups. Whilst usually consumed in small quantities, ensure you don’t eat any tomato sauce for around five hours before you hit the hay for a better quality of sleep.
Pizza
No matter how much you’re craving a slice, it’s best to avoid pizza if you’re seeking a decent night’s sleep. The cheese is rich in fat, while the tomato base is high in acid, creating a tasty, yet sleep-defying, combination. Pizza’s high levels of sodium will also leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable the next morning.
Broccoli
If it’s good for your body, it’ll be good for your sleep, right? Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. The fiber that’s found in broccoli takes a particularly long time to digest, causing sleep disruption. Furthermore, the vegetable can cause gas and acidity problems the following day.
Cake
If you expect to eat a sugary slice of cake before hitting the hay and still sleep well, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The high sugar levels will make it exceedingly difficult to drift off, while the high fat content will create a slew of reflux issues.
Green tea
Many people enjoy a soothing cup of green tea before bedtime, thinking that the super healthy drink helps them to relax. However, green tea contains traces of caffeine, triggering your adrenals and hormones to be in a more alert state. A cup or two earlier in the day is a safer bet.
Fries
Their high fat and sodium levels make fries something you’ll want to avoid before bedtime if you’re looking to sleep well. Feasting on the greasy snack can lead to painful bouts of indigestion throughout the night, with some cases leading into the morning hours. Symptoms can be worsened when pairing fries with ketchup, creating a double whammy of sleep-preventing compounds.
Watermelon
As its name suggests, watermelons have a high water content – 92%, to be exact. While the fruit will combat any dehydration blues, consuming high quantities of watermelon before going to bed will result in numerous trips to the bathroom, alongside the risk of swelling caused by water retention.
Raw onions
Aside from causing unpleasant breath, eating raw onions can also cause gas that affects the pressure within your stomach. This pressure can cause acid to leak into your throat throughout the night, causing severe sensations of heartburn. Make sure you pick out any traces of onion in your late-night salad to slip into a peaceful slumber.
Donuts
Donuts can affect your sleep twofold, due to their high sugar and high fat content. They raise and then crash your sugar levels, causing you to wake up frequently in the night. The fatty dough may also lead to unpleasant digestive problems, including stomach aches and gas.
Oranges
These vitamin C-rich fruits are best saved for breakfast. Consuming just a few slices of an orange will cause your stomach to significantly increase its acid production, causing an unpleasant night’s sleep full of heartburn and acid reflux. The same rings true for orange-flavored sodas or snacks.
Tacos
Tacos are spicy and fatty, a mix you want to avoid before you start counting sheep. The meat is difficult for your stomach to digest and the spice raises your body temperature. The sauce is usually full of acidic tomatoes, making tacos a complete no-go if you’re looking for a decent night’s sleep.
Curry
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that curries will negatively impact how well you sleep. Not only will you be more likely to experience heartburn and indigestion, but you’ll also raise your body temperature, making it much harder for you to drift off. Leave a gap of around five hours between finishing off a curry and hitting the hay.
Cookies
High-calorie foods are best avoided for around two hours before you go to bed, including delicious cookies. Many people turn to comfort food in order to unwind before sleeping, unaware that doing so only leads to a more disruptive slumber. Fight the cravings for a sweet treat and ditch the cookie – you’ll sleep much better for it.
Lemons
It’s unlikely that you’re feasting on a raw lemon before you snooze. However, lemon-flavored food and drink will negatively impact your sleep due to their high levels of acid. Lemons also boost mental stimulation and energy levels – making them a great choice for the daytime, but a poor choice once the sun sets.
Celery
Shockingly, celery should be avoided during the evening hours. This is because the healthy, vitamin-filled food is a natural diuretic, promoting the body’s production of urine. It’s best to avoid crunching on celery if you don’t wish to experience numerous late-night trips to the bathroom.
Salsa
Salsa mixes tomatoes and onions – two foods you want to avoid at all costs before going to sleep. The dip also houses capaicin, which can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to remain open longer than it should, leading to uncomfortable and frequent bouts of heartburn. Store-bought varieties are especially disruptive, as they contain surprisingly high levels of sugar.
Too much water
You may want to rethink taking a refreshing glass of water up to bed. In fact, experts recommend that you stop drinking water two hours before you drift off, combating the need to urinate throughout the night and keeping any pesky bloating woes at bay.
Large quantities of food
No matter the food, you should never consume large quantities before bedtime. High amounts of food will result in your body working overtime throughout the night. If your body’s still up and active, your mind will naturally follow suit. Instead, ensure you only eat small, manageable chunks before you attempt to drift off.
Hummus
Say it ain’t so! As tempting as it may be to binge watch your favorite TV show will scooping heaps of hummus into your mouth, it’s best to avoid the temptation. Select ingredients in hummus – such as lemon juice and garlic – can trigger severe bouts of acid reflux, meaning it’s best eat the dip in the afternoon.
Sandwiches
Eating a hefty dose of carbs before you hit the hay is never recommended, leading to a broken sleep and indigestion when you awaken. Worst still are sandwiches packed with meats and salty sauces, with your body struggling to break down such a fatty concoction.
Cauliflower
Believe it or not, eating cauliflower before you drift off can lead to a broken sleep. Your body will struggle to break down all of that fiber – particularly due to you laying horizontally – leading to potential digestive problems. Ensure there’s a good few hours between you feasting on cauli and putting your head on the pillow.
Chicken
As chicken is relatively plain, you may think it’s a safe bet to munch on before you go to bed. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Foods rich in animal-based proteins take a lot of energy to digest, meaning your body will be working overtime when you slumber. Many proteins also contain the amino acid tyrosine, a compound that promotes brain activity.
Cucumber
These tasty salads are a natural diuretic, so eating heaps of them will result in your body absorbing a lot of water, meaning you’ll need to urinate throughout the night. Worse still is if these snacks are paired with acid-flaring dips, such as hummus or salsa.
Ginger
This powerful root has many benefits – but aiding your sleep isn’t one of them. Ginger can heat up your overall body temperature, resulting in a sweaty night filled with tosses and turns. Incorporate ginger into your diet by all means – just ensure it’s eaten during daylight hours.
Energy drinks
You can’t expect to pump your body full of caffeine and sugar and have a peaceful slumber. Energy drinks, as the name suggests, give your body increased levels of stimulation, raising your heartbeat and pumping up your adrenaline levels. It’s best to stick to small sips of water if you’re seeking a peaceful slumber.
Syrups
The reason why syrups taste so good is due to their high levels of sugar, creating wonderful flavors like caramel and vanilla. Unfortunately, eating these tasty syrups late in the day will result in a broken sleep, with your blood sugar levels leaping all over the place.
Milk
Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t consume large quantities of milk before bed. Milk contains lactose, and lactose functions as a natural sugar. If you’re glucose intolerant, drinking milk can lead to a hefty blood sugar crash – resulting in your brain craving food in the early hours.
Eggplant
Eating a lot of eggplants before you hit the hay will increase your production of norepinephrine, adrenaline, and other sleep-combating stimulants – resulting in increased energy levels. This’ll cause your mind to work overtime, leading to an uncomfortable night spent tossing and turning – no matter how many sheep you count.
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is filled with tyramine, an amino acid that causes the brain to release a natural stimulant, boosting your energy levels and brain activity. Of course, an increased energy level is the last thing you want during twilight hours, so it’s best to eat soy sauce during the day.
Certain medications
There are many medications that you should avoid taking before bedtime, all with differing effects. Laxatives, beta-blockers and ibuprofen paired with caffeine are all some of the pills that are best taken during the daytime. Ensure you thoroughly read the instructions and side effects of any medication you purchase.
Chinese takeaways
If you’re going to treat yourself to a Chinese takeaway, try and do so as early as possible. Chow mein, prawn toast, and crispy seaweed are all drenched in sugar, making a peaceful slumber an impossibility. Chinese food also contains monosodium glutamate, a compound that works as a stimulant.
Rice
If you eat excess amounts of rice in the evening, it encourages your body to store fat while you slumber. Although it won’t directly interfere with your quality of sleep, it can result in you carrying a few extra pounds that are hard to shake off.
Brussels sprouts
These powerful, vitamin-filled veggies are great for your health and digestive system, just not when they’re consumed at night. Eating Brussels sprouts before bedtime makes it harder for your body to digest the fiber, which could result in painful bouts of gas or trapped wind.
Nut butter
These tasty spreads are a great way to lose weight while still filling your body with healthy fats. However, eating them of an evening slows down your digestive process, resulting in a broken sleep. Nut butters are also likely to remain in your gut throughout the night, leaving you feeling bloated and uncomfortable.
Grapes
Grapes do have some melatonin in them – a hormone that’s used to aid in sleeping. However, the sugar content of these watery fruits far outweighs any sleep-boosting factors, causing fluctuating blood sugars and a pumped-up brain, leading to a night spent staring at the ceiling.
Oat milk
As dairy milk is a no-go, you may be considering opting for a warm glass of oat milk before you hit the hay. Unfortunately, the dairy alternative can be just as disruptive to your sleep, as its high in both carbs and sugar. If you’re going to drink oat milk before bed, make sure it’s unsweetened.
Bananas
Bananas are made up of fat-digesting carbs, causing your body to work overtime. While they’re a great pre-workout snack to provide your body with heaps of energy, it’s ill-advised to snack on a banana of a nighttime. If you’re craving a healthy, sweet snack, opt for a small handful of raspberries instead.
Tiramisu
This delicious dessert has a double whammy of sleep-blocking ingredients – caffeine and sugar. Both severely impact your REM sequence, preventing you from slipping into a deep, refreshing slumber, leaving you feeling groggy the next day. If you eat a tiramisu at night, you can kiss a good night’s sleep goodbye.
Garlic
While garlic contains extremely high levels of allicin – a compound that can aid in relaxing the mind, it also keeps your gastric system awake, making your stomach gurgle all night long. Garlic also promotes the production of saliva and other gastric juices, keeping your body alert into the early hours.
Cabbage
Feasting on fiber-enriched foods such as cabbage will make it neigh impossible to drift off into a peaceful sleep. As you lay, your body will be working hard to break down the vegetable, long after you drift off to sleep. This can result in frequent wake-ups – or a sensation of bloating come the morning.
Burritos
Chowing down a fatty burrito isn’t recommended if you’re looking to sleep peacefully. Not only will you feel bloated and uncomfortable, but the spice within in the burrito can cause painful bouts of heartburn. Furthermore, the beans can cause gas, keeping you tooting into the early hours.
Cream
All forms of cream should be avoided of an evening, whether it’s half-and-half, whipped, or full fat. Packed with sugar, guzzling on cream will make you feel energetic, making drifting off almost impossible. When that sugar high wears off you’ll wake up with a start, craving more food in the lonely hours of the night.
Cured meats
When raiding your fridge for a midnight snack, avoid all forms of cured meat. These preserved snacks contain a hefty dose of tyramine, releasing norepinephrine which signals the brain to ready itself for action. Of course, of a nighttime you want your norepinephrine levels to be as low as possible.
Margarine
It’s unlikely that you’re slurping margarine straight from the tub (if you are, no judgment) – but it’s wise to check the ingredients of things you are munching on. Foods that contain margarine are high in fat, leaving you bloated and sluggish. While you may drift off with no issues, it’s likely that your sleep will be fragmented.
Orange juice
Like oranges, orange juice contains high traces of acidity, resulting in rude awakenings caused by acid reflux and heartburn. Drinking plenty of liquids before you hit the hay will also result in you needing to pee more often, making a sweet glass of OJ the mortal enemy of sleep.
Beef
Feasting on a juicy slice of beef before bed will result in the meat sitting in your stomach, making it harder for you to fall asleep. If you include beef as a part of your dinner, ensure that it’s consumed around three hours before you plan on hitting the pillow – giving your body plenty of time to digest the food.
Legumes
The legume bean is packed with body-boosting effects, boasting an array of minerals, fiber, and protein. However, these health boosters can negatively impact your REM pattern, due to your gastrointestinal tract working overtime to pass the food through your body. Instead, eat legumes as an afternoon snack to effectively reap their benefits.
Thai soup
You may think that a tasty bowl of Thai soup is a light, safe option for a late-night snack. In fact, the opposite is true. Thai soup contains an array of spices that can impact your acidity levels, alongside making you feel hot and sweaty.
Lime water
Guzzling down lime water has been proven to combat sleep woes, creating a calm mind before bed while hydrating your body. However, you need to ensure you don’t overdo it. Drinking too much lime water can increase the need to urinate while pumping your gut full of unnecessary acids, leading to a broken slumber.
Chili
Eating heaps of chili as your late-time snack is a surefire way to stay awake throughout the night, giving you uncomfortable bouts of stomach ache. The spicy dish also raises your overall body temperature, making it hard to peacefully slip into the land of nod.
Yogurt
Some yogurts are okay to eat before bed – in fact, many are recommended! It’s flavored yogurts you’ve got to look out for, pumping your system full of sugar that’ll keep you awake until the early hours. Instead, opt for plain, healthy products like Greek yogurt.
Fajitas
We all get a craving for a delicious Mexican dish every now and then – just make sure you don’t satiate those cravings of a nighttime. Fajitas are a sleep-killer, full of protein that your gut will fail to break down overnight, alongside often being spicy, resulting in a double-whammy of insomnia-inducing compounds.
Ice lollies
On a sweaty summer’s night, you may be tempted to munch on a cool ice lolly to find some solace from the unbearable heat. While eating an ice lolly will lower your body temperature, it’ll also fill your blood with sugar, meaning these snacks are better enjoyed on a sunny summer’s day.
Onion rings
If there’s one late-night snack you want to avoid, it’s onion rings. Not only are they filled with fat and grease – a combo that your gut struggles to absorb of a night – they can also lead to acid sneaking up from your stomach, causing unpleasant gastric issues.
Mashed potato
You’ll want to avoid all forms of carbs right before you drift off, including mashed potatoes. Mash will bloat your gut, making you feel uncomfortable as you snooze. Frequently eating mashed potatoes before bed can also lead to weight gain, leaving you feeling constantly bloated.
Pretzels
Pretzels have a high glycemic index, causing a sharp spike in your body’s blood sugar levels. Although the sugar crash will result in a shorter wait to fall asleep, it’ll cause frequent wake-ups throughout the night, meaning you’ll fail to slip into deep REM cycles.
Tea
Of course, all forms of caffeine should be avoided of an evening, including tea. The water and stimulant combo will result in a buzzing brain and an overactive bladder, leading to a broken sleep. Worse still is if you add heaps of sugar to the drink, resulting in a trifecta of over-stimulation.
Kale
You may think you’re doing your body a favor by munching on some kale as a midnight snack, choosing the veg over other, unhealthy options. However, kale is hard for your gut to break down in the small hours of the night, resulting in stomach pains and bouts of gas.