What are the good and worst foods to eat before sleep?

• Avoid eating chocolate, ice cream, crisps, cheese, and curry before bed
• Opt for foods like bananas, turkey, cherries, honey, and almonds
• Avoid spicy foods as they can cause heartburn and stomach discomfort
• Limit caffeine and alcohol intake as they can stimulate the nervous system
• Find a balance options for dinner to ensure a good night’s sleep

In this blog, you will learn the best and worst foods for sleep.

There are times when hunger attacks us just before going to sleep.

But sometimes we do some things wrong and maybe you don’t know.

The first thing we think about is going to the fridge to look for options.

The truth is something that cannot be avoided.

Most likely, we will find unhealthy options and end up eating them. We don’t care at that time.

We just want to eat and go straight to sleep.

This is all very, very WRONG and will make it harder for your body.

Maybe doing it once or twice a month won’t cause us any problems.

So, you might be wondering: What should I do?

What you should do is choose which foods to eat before going to bed.

Find out what are the worst foods to eat before going to sleep.

Five worst foods to eat before bed

Chocolate

Who can refuse chocolate? I think no one. We all love chocolate.

But it is one the foods to avoid before sleep.

Chocolate contains caffeine within its ingredients.

Caffeine, like morning coffee, can keep us awake for a long time.

An extra energy before bed is not advisable, and chocolate can give you a dose of energy.

If you want to relax and sleep, chocolate will do the opposite.

It will make your mind more agile and keep you awake.

Ice cream

The ice creams are delicious; we cannot deny it. But don’t eat them late-night.

They are loaded with fat and sugar and will affect your blood sugar level.

Fat slows down our digestion and keeps us awake.

Sugar is extra energy that we don’t need before bed.

Crisps

Fried foods slow down the digestion process, but crisps, in particular, are a pump.

They are so heavy that it is difficult for our bodies to digest them.

No matter how delicious they are, avoid them at dinner.

The chances of suffering from reflux at bedtime are very high.

You cannot sleep with the fire in your throat due to acidity.

Cheese

Most cheeses are fatty, and you already know that fat makes digestion difficult and consequently affects sleep.

Dairy present in cheese can also cause gas and stomach ailments.

But the most fearsome of all is that cheeses have a substance called tyramine.

This substance affects the production of the sleep hormone.

So, eating cheese before bed will not help you sleep better.

Curry

The curry is a mixture of several species that are mostly very heavy.

Consuming them will keep you active and awake for a long time.

If you eat curry, you will be eating more than 1 species simultaneously; that is, a concentration of energy.

The curry can also upset your stomach and cause you to suffer from acid reflux when you sleep.

Something that is very unpleasant and will not allow to stay asleep.

But what next?

So, now that you know what foods you should avoid, you may be wondering what foods to eat before bed.

Not just these foods, but also foods that are rich in carbohydrate and fat needs to be avoided.

Because the truth is that you don’t plan to go to bed with an empty stomach.

Don’t worry; fortunately, there are healthy options to have a deep sleep; keep reading and get to know them.

Five best foods for sleep

Bananas

Banana contains tryptophan, which helps the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

If we eat a banana before going to sleep, we will be helping our body to produce melatonin.

This is a natural and delicious way to get restful sleep. At the same time, we satiate night hunger when it attacks.

Turkey

Like the banana, it contains tryptophan.

You can boost the production of melatonin by eating a piece of turkey.

If you get hungry before going to sleep, the turkey will get you out of trouble.

Its high protein content will fill you up, and you can go to bed satisfied.

Cherries

Represent one of the best sleep foods.

They contain melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Melatonin is found in very few foods, and cherry is the exception.

A handful of cherries is to consume melatonin naturally. A marvel.

Honey

Those who love sweet and natural will love this option.

Honey helps the production of melatonin thanks to the tryptophan it contains.

Consuming a spoonful before bed will not only be delicious, but it will help you fall asleep.

You can also add it to your favorite tea and take it a few minutes before bed.

Almonds

Magnesium is one of the most essential minerals that promote sleep.

And almonds are rich in magnesium.

A tablespoon of almond butter or some natural almonds is a perfect option before bed.

Eat it as you prefer and wait for its relaxing effect.

In my opinion

Food is important for sleep; Virginia Woolf thinks the same in her novel “A Room of One’s Own”:

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well.”

Now, you already know what to eat and what not to eat before going to bed but…

Surely you are thinking if there is something else you should know.

And the answer is yes.

You should consider:

Avoid Spicy Foods Before Bed

Spicy foods are loaded with seasoning.

The ultra-processed ingredients present in them will affect your digestion.

Do you want to spend a quiet night without heartburn, flatulence, and stomach cramps?

I guess your answer is yes.

So, if what you want is a peaceful sleep, spicy foods should not be part of your dinners.

Limit Caffeine and Alcohol For Better Sleep

One of the stimulants par excellence is caffeine.

That is why it is the best option to start the day.

Coffee increases adrenaline and makes us more energetic.

Just what we don’t want before going to sleep.

Some people need a good dose of caffeine to feel a stimulating effect.

But for most people, a little caffeine will be enough to keep you awake for a long time.

What about alcohol?

Something similar happens with alcohol.

One of the main effects of alcohol is stimulating the nervous system.

If we want to have a peaceful and restful sleep, we need to relax our brain, not stimulate it.

Balance Is Key

We must seek balance.

It is not about stopping eating what we like. It is about choosing the best time to consume and enjoy them.

The trick is to consume the foods that are stimulating and that we like during the day.

Leave lighter foods for the night so that they do not affect our sleep.

Food and eating are closely related

I particularly support Tom Rath’s expression in his book “Eat Move Sleep” which says:

“Eating the right foods provides energy for your workout and improves the quality of your sleep. In turn, a sound night of sleep makes you more likely to eat right the next day. This is why the real magic lies at the intersection between eating, moving, and sleeping. If you can do all three well, it will improve your daily energy and your odds of living a long, healthy life.”

Recognize the worst foods to eat before sleep

The secret is to recognize the worst foods for sleep and, above all, to recognize the foods that make us feel worse.

Each organism is different, and each person tolerates each food better or not.

If you manage to find which foods do you the most damage, you will gain an advantage.