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Reaching for sweets, chocolate and other treats before bed is common, but it can harm your health. Here, you can find out why it’s important to limit snacking in the evening.
We’ve all felt the urge to get out of bed to nibble on something. Who hasn’t succumbed to the call of a bag of chips while watching their favorite show just before bed? Should we allow ourselves to eat anything without restriction, especially before enjoying a good night’s sleep? And what drinks should we have? You may not like the answer to this.
Problematic calorie overload
If snacking in the evening causes you to exceed your daily calorie intake, it would be better if you avoided this bad habit. It’s better to give up an extra snack late at night to have a good night’s sleep. The reason for this? You could be putting your digestive system to the test.
Difficult digestion leads to poorer quality sleep. So if you go straight to bed shortly after eating, you may get heartburn and not sleep well enough.
It is recommended to stop eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime to avoid overloading the stomach and facilitate digestion, which should occur sitting or standing up and not lying down. This is also why people talk about a “digestive walk” after a big family meal, for example. So you’ve already understood that you shouldn’t lie down immediately after eating to ensure better digestion and, above all, to avoid storing bad fats! This is the time of day when the body stores the most – so the more you eat, the more you store. Logical! It is also important to ban certain foods to sleep peacefully.
You should avoid these foods for a restful sleep
Caffeine
Although some people may disagree, coffee and caffeinated drinks, such as certain soft drinks, should not be consumed before bedtime. It is even advisable not to have any drinks after 4 pm, as it takes at least five hours for the caffeine to be absorbed by the body. Instead, opt for a thyme tea or chamomile tea to help with digestion.
Alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates, and if you drink alcohol, you may wake up at night to drink, disrupting your sleep. What’s more, your sleep will be anything but restful. A small glass of wine during dinner is always pleasant and tolerated, but leave at least two hours between that glass and bedtime.
Fried foods
French fries, donuts, spring rolls and other fried foods that we like to eat are not recommended for dinner. As the body stores more fat at bedtime, there is also a risk that it will store these fats!
Spicy food
Avoid eating Thai or Indian food in the evening; it could save your evening and your night! Spicy food causes heartburn and makes digestion more difficult, especially if you’re not used to it!
These foods will help you sleep better
But what should you eat then? Some foods promote serotonin synthesis, while others can impair sleep. To ensure a restful sleep, your diet should include tryptophan-rich foods. Here is a small, non-exhaustive list of these foods for better sleep:
Dairy products
Poultry
Starchy foods such as pasta, wholegrain rice, wholegrain bread and potatoes
Hot drinks such as herbal tea, rooibos, hot lemon, etc.
Apart from what we eat and drink, the right temperature in the bedroom is also said to impact how well we sleep.
Now you know all the secrets to a good, restful sleep and a well-protected stomach. So, hit the hay!
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