Some foods have a surprising effect on us, stopping us receiving our much needed zzzzzzz. There are seven types of food and drink which have a part to play in keeping us awake or making us rise before we really need to.
#1. Water
Really ? If you drink just a pint of water before going to bed, you can be guaranteed of waking in the middle of the night to urinate. The impact can begin 20 minutes after glugging the first drop otherwise it is often three hours later. For some, keeping a glass or bottle by the bedside is part of ritual but don’t try. Always drink some water before going to bed, but three hours beforehand otherwise you will literally be up and down all night.
#2 Chocolate
Chocolate in whatever form is notorious for turning us into insomniacs. It contains plenty of caffeine for starters. A heavy chocolate dessert, soufflé or brownie contains enough caffeine to make us fully awake and aroused for hours on end. never mind the post-dinner coffee, it’s the chocolate pud we need to watch out for really. If you are suffering from insomnia then caffeine has little impact on whether you sleep or not after three bad night according to some interesting research on the subject.
#3 Green Tea
Surprising I know but as well as some caffeine, green tea also contains theobromine and theophylline. These two components in tea increase heart rate, raise levels of anxiety and nervousness and supposedly influence our dreaming. Don’t consume after 4 p.m. otherwise it’s likely you will never nod off.
#4 Tomato Ketchup
I love tomato ketchup and indeed all those wonderful tomato sauces for pasta. The acidity and indeed total acid combined with various other active components in tomato all contribute to maintaining alertness. Heartburn and indigestion can often follow when we lie prone in bed because of such foods.
#5 Sugar
Lots of foods laden with sugar are notorious especially with our metabolism at night. We usually transform our metabolism from a day rate to a night rate. Unfortunately, too much sugar as in processed foods and some beverages and our blood sugar levels spike. The crash often means we do not sleep at all.
#6 Fatty Foods and Fat
Avoid all the take away favourites like fried chicken, French fries, burgers and fatty snacks. All these foods often produce bloating and indigestion as they take longer to digest.
#7 Spicy Foods
If there is one food that causes raised metabolism and thus hampers sleep, it is chilli, especially capsaicin. Apparently our body reduces its core temperature (through the hypothalamus – what an incredible gland!) just before we sleep. Spicy foods raise the core temperature so it hampers the way our body reduces temperature. We feel more alert and active than ever as a result.
If you want to know more about certain foods mentioned have a look at articles on the following:-
green tea, chocolate, caffeine.
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