Foods That Keep You Up at Night

Foods That Keep You Up at Night

Foods That Keep You Up at Night

Have you ever given thought to the fact that sleeplessness at night could be an outcome of what might have gone into the stomach throughout the day rather than your mental state? Recent research in this arena has revealed that indeed your tummy plays a seminal role in determining the soundness of your sleep and hence has a direct bearing on the quality of rest received by your body.

Since a good night’s sleep is essential for the proper functioning of the body, gaining cognizance of food groups that have been to linked to incidence of insomnia is a must. Some of the well known culprits that are found in every kitchen are –


Caffeine

While a cup of coffee loaded with caffeine could prove to be your best friend on a sleepy morning, it could well prove to be your undoing if consumed just before bedtime. Being a natural stimulant, caffeine does a good job of revving you up but the affect is only temporary and likely to wear off within a few hours. Therefore, suppressing the urge to have a cup of coffee before going to bed is an absolute must if you are looking forward to sound sleep and a feeling of freshness next morning.


Spicy and Greasy Food

Yummy though they might be, such foods are universal causes of heartburn and gastro-intestinal disorders. While they do not cause as much problem when consumed during the course of the day, their intake at night should be severely restricted or completely eliminated because of the high possibility of stomach upset. The outcome is an uncomfortable and sleepless night and listless than usual morning.


Milk Chocolate

As per health experts a certain ingredient named tyrosine in milk chocolate is transformed into a stimulant named dopamine when it enters the body. This can cause restlessness in sufficient degree to be able to disturb sleep and hence should be eaten in the morning at the breakfast table rather than at night. A preferred alternative at night is the dark chocolate which is an excellent relaxant and hence leads to snores.


Alcohol

May be consumption of alcohol can cause you to feel sleepy initially but the quality of sleep is often fitful and poor often keeping rest and relaxation at bay. Courtesy of improper sleep initially and lack of sleep at later stages, the result is mental tiredness and an all-pervading feeling of lethargy in the morning.


Ginseng Tea

The only exception in the list of herbal teas, Ginseng is known to spoil a good night’s sleep because it is laced with stimulating properties that interfere with the onset of slumber. However, since it is otherwise healthy, a strong recommendation would be to consume it during the day many hours prior to bedtime.

An important point that should be borne in mind is that the foods listed above boast of their own plus points that the individual can benefit from and hence should not be totally omitted from the diet. As long as caution is exercised to ensure that they are not consumed anywhere close to the bedtime, the person can snore the night away and wake up fresh as a lily next morning.

Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad