15 Worst Foods to Eat Before Bedtime....

১০ ই আগস্ট, ২০১৪ বিকাল ৫:৫৯

It’s bedtime and you are feeling hungry so what should you eat? We often

reach for the wrong bedtime snacks and think they are absolutely healthy, but

then have trouble falling asleep without knowing the reason. Believe it or not,

what you eat before going to bed can greatly affect your sleep quality. It’s

difficult to go to bed when you are starving and there’s no shame in having a

snack right before hitting the sack, but you should make healthy choices and

avoid overeating. Your bedtime snack choice should be under 200 calories and

it shouldn’t contain caffeine. Read on to discover some of the worst foods to

eat before bedtime and make sure you avoid eating these things at all costs.

Otherwise, you can gain undesirable body fat, disrupt your sleep and jeopardize

your health.

1. Nut butter

Almond butter, peanut butter, or any other nut butter can cause weight gain if

you make it a regular bedtime snack. Although numerous studies show that

peanut butter can help lose weight, there are also researches that show peanut

butter can cause weight gain. When I suffered from eating disorder, I consumed

nut butter each night and gained about 25 pounds, and it was not only a

terrible habit, but it also was embarrassing. If you are feeling snacky late at

night, don’t reach for any nut butter. I suggest you to drink a big glass of

unsweetened almond milk. Almond milk contains calcium that will help take

away your cravings, calm your nerves, and help you sleep better. You can

sweeten your almond milk with stevia or cinnamon, and your healthy and tasty

bedtime snack is ready! If you still want to eat some peanut butter before bed,

feel free to do it, but make sure you consume it in moderation and don’t make

it a regular bedtime snack.

2. Alcohol

It’s a common myth that a great amount of alcohol can help you sleep better.

While alcohol tends to have a drowsy and a lethargic effect, it doesn’t make

your sleep more refreshing and revitalizing. Alcohol can lead to dehydration and

reduce the restorative functions of sleep. You can even wake up in the middle of

the night and stay awake until the early hours of the morning. Therefore, if

you want to have a deep and long-lasting sleep, avoid drinking alcohol before

going to bed. Otherwise, the next day the bags under your eyes will tell you

that alcohol is one of the worst things to consume before sleep. If you suffer

from occasional or chronic insomnia, you should be aware that alcohol can

make it worse in the long run.

3. Candy bars

As tempting as candy bars might be, they are one of the worst things to eat

before hitting the sack. A recent research has found that 7 out of 10 people

who consumed junk foods such as candy bars before going to sleep were more

likely to suffer from nightmares that night. Candy bars are high in sugar that

produces nightmarish brain waves. I decided to eat candy bars late at night,

just for experiment, and I can tell that the first night I didn’t notice any

changes in my sleep and I didn’t experience any nightmare, but the next two

nights were difficult. Not only did I suffer from terrible nightmares, but also I

couldn’t sleep the whole night then, and in the morning I was so drowsy that I

couldn’t go to work. To tell the truth, I didn’t think it was because of candy

bars, but once I started eating healthy again, all my nightmares vanished.

Sure, it’s up to you to decide what to eat before you go to bed, but researchers

don’t recommend eating candy bars right before sleep.

4. Ice cream

I’m sure ice cream is a favorite food of most of us. It actually comprises

double-whammy properties. Ice cream is a great comforting food but it’s also

one of the worst foods to consume before sleep. Even if you are trying to gain

weight, don’t eat ice cream late at night. Ice creams are packed with fat that is

digested at a slower rate, and it’s high in sugar that cause nightmares and can

keep you up. The taste of ice-cream is definitely calming, but unfortunately,

the results are absolutely terrible. Instead of eating ice-cream, try to drink a

glass of unsweetened milk. I know it’s not as delicious as ice cream, but it’s

much healthier.

5. Chips

It may sound obvious, but you should never eat chips before going to sleep,

especially if you want to drop a few unwanted pounds. Chips are one of those

tasty foods that are difficult to stop eating. Stay away from chips in the

evening when you are more likely to keep on and on, whether in front of the

computer or television. It’s easier to lose count and overeat when you are

distracted. Try snacking on some raw vegetables such as carrots and red bell

peppers, or reach for a small handful of almonds. You will get a crunchy

texture of chips and the fiber will fill you up faster than chips. Studies show

that chips as well as soda provide only empty calories, and they don’t have

any health benefits.

6. Red meat

It’s not recommended to consume any meat before sleep, because it takes

longer to digest. Red meat , especially processed meat, is particularly bad food

to eat late at night. The thing is that red meat is packed with fats and

proteins, which is not actually bad, but it keeps the body busy breaking down

it the entire night, causing discomfort and sometimes cramping. Avoid a night

full of twisting and turning and keep your systems at peace by eating healthy

bedtime snacks. Red meat has also a higher insulin response and it can

increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, so it’s better to avoid eating it in the

evening. A hard-boiled egg is a great bedtime snack that you can eat instead

of red meat late at night.

8. Pizza

While one slice of your favorite pizza isn’t the end of the world, are you sure

you can stop at only one slice? Yes, pizza is tasty and easy to make, but it

contains mega calories so eating it right before bed will make you gain weight

faster. The tomato sauce that layers your pizza contains high levels of acidity

that can lead to acid reflux. Plus, the greasy toppings can give you heartburn.

If you want to wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake until the

morning, you can still eat your pizza before bedtime. But if you want to have a

high quality sleep, avoid it at all costs. Though, you may want to try a

vegetable pizza with carrots and red bell peppers, but without that layer of

tomato sauce and without any other unhealthy foods.

9. Chocolate

While chocolate is not loaded with a lot of fat and sugar, it does contain

caffeine. It also contains stimulants such as theobromine, which is well-known

to make your heart race a little. Due to this you can stay awake at night and

it can also cause sleep deprivation. People who don’t get enough sleep each

night tend to suffer from high levels of cortisol, which can cause muscle tissues

to break down. I’m a big lover of dark chocolate and I have never thought that

eating dark or any other chocolate before bed can affect my sleep. However,

according to some studies chocolate is one of the worst things to eat right

before bedtime. The good news is that we can enjoy this treat during the day,

of course, in moderation.

10. Coffee flavored food

Coffee drink, java chip ice cream, coffee flavored candies, or anything that has

coffee in it are all unhealthy bedtime snacks. If you eat one of these snacks

before going to sleep, you will stay awake for longer and it will be difficult to

fall asleep fast. Even if you fall asleep, you might wake up in the middle of

the night due to the caffeine fluctuations in the body. Some of you may say

that coffee doesn’t keep you awake at night and you don’t have trouble

sleeping after drinking a cup of coffee right before bed. But, how do you feel in

the morning? Sleepy, tired and lack of energy? Perhaps you think it’s not

because of coffee flavored food, but it’s actually because of it unless you are

sick. Avoid any coffee flavored food at bedtime for a great night’s sleep and

better health.

11. Pasta

Eating pasta, even with nothing else on it right before bedtime, is never a good

idea. Yes, it’s a quick and easy fix for people who want to combat their craving

before hitting the sack, but it’s actually not a healthy bedtime snack. Pasta is

packed with carbohydrates and has lots of calories, which are prone to settling

around your waist. Eating pasta before bed will also spike your insulin levels,

as well as blunt nighttime HGH (Human Growth Hormone) production. This is

not good since around 80% of this fat-burning and muscle-building hormone is

released during sleep. Avoid it by saving the carbohydrate-rich food like pasta

to eat earlier in the day.

12. Pastries and sweets

I hope you don’t stock pastries such as fritters, turnovers, donuts and sweets

such as cupcakes, cakes or cookies in your house. If you do, you will be more

likely to eat them at night. The problem is, your inhibitions are very low late at

night because you are tired or stressed from the day, and you can reach for

sugar to boost your energy levels. However, the best thing you can do when you

are tired is to go to sleep. Don’t reach for those sweets and pastries at night, if

you don’t want to put on about 5 pounds a week or if you don’t want to wake

up hungry in the middle of the night because of low blood sugar. If you are

super hungry before bedtime, opt for healthier foods such as Greek yogurt with

frozen berries or whole-grain crackers with hummus.

13. Celery

Yes, it’s surprising to see celery on the list of the worst foods to eat before

bedtime, but you should avoid it right before going to bed in order to have a

deep, uninterrupted sleep. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with eating celery in

the evening, but it’s a natural diuretic and it can increase your rate of

urination more than usual. This means you will wake up a few times during the

night. Don’t eat too much celery before bed or don’t eat it at all. You can

reach for carrots instead. They are loaded with Vitamin A which is good for

your skin and for your vision, and it won’t disturb your sleep. I like to eat

carrots, red bell peppers and a little bit of celery with homemade hummus

before bedtime, but I do it in moderation. Green smoothie is a healthy bedtime

snack as well.

14. Too much fruit

Most of us find fruits to be a healthy thing to eat right before bedtime and I’m

not saying a little serving of some fruit is bad. But too much fruit is lots of

sugar and it can cause gas since the sugar ferments on top of any other food

in your intestines. It’s hard on your digestion and can be very painful.

Consume a small serving of your favorite fruit and see how you feel. It’s not

recommended to eat more than a cup before bedtime. Greek yogurt with some

frozen fruit is one of my favorite bedtime snacks that help me get rid of my

intense cravings in no time. You can also eat a little bit of nuts and fruits, but

don’t overeat them.

15. Cereal

If you are watching your weight, cereal is another food to avoid eating at night.

In fact, there’s nothing wrong with eating one bowl of whole-grain cereal at

night. Just stay away from sugary cereals, or you will get a sugar high right

before bed and you can forget about a good night’s sleep. Personally I think a

bowl of oatmeal with milk is much healthier than cereal and I don’t recommend

eating any cereal, even in the morning. Researches show that cereal can be bad

for us and it can cause numerous health issues, if consumed regularly,

especially before bedtime.

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