May 26, 2014
10 Foods Keeping You Up At Night
Sleep is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, but several people suffer from sleeplessness now and again. Here are 10 foods that could be keeping you awake at night.
2. Aged cheeses – tyramine, an amino acid found in hard cheese such as cheddar, acts as a stimulant and will keep your mind racing. I guess any wine and cheese tasting parties should be kept to the early evening.
3. Caffeine – ok, this one I knew. I think this is pretty self explanatory – you know that thing you drink in the morning to wake up? Don’t drink that before bed.
4. Medications – several over the counter medications for sinus congestion or pain relief can contain caffeine or other stimulants, make sure to check the labels if you find yourself unable to sleep while on these medications.
5. Smoked or cured meats – fermented foods also contain the amino acid tyramine, so cut out the pre-bedtime jerky and sardines (which would otherwise be the perfect bedtime snack?)
6. Chocolate – delicious, but contains caffeine, sometimes as much as a cup of coffee.
7. Tomato – the acids in tomatoes can cause heartburn and keep your tummy grumbling through a sleepless night.
8. Too much water – I didn’t think there could be such a thing as too much water, but if you drink too much before bedtime your bladder could keep you up and about for most of the night.
9. Red fatty meats – or any food this is specifically high in cholesterol and protein will mean it digests very slowly. Again, I don’t think steak is a very good pre-bed snack, but maybe aim for earlier dinners.
10. Spicy foods – another type of food that requires some digestion time, eating spicy food too close to bedtime can result in intestinal upset and keep you tossing and turning.
As a person who also suffers from insomnia quite a bit, my favourite snooze-getting advice would be a hearty workout a few hours before bed, a single cup of herbal tea, a good book, and a heated magic bag.
- Booze – this one was surprising to me, but although alcohol may make you feel lethargic or help you pass out, it disrupts the REM cycle, so you will wake up more often during the night, causing you to get a less than restful sleep.
2. Aged cheeses – tyramine, an amino acid found in hard cheese such as cheddar, acts as a stimulant and will keep your mind racing. I guess any wine and cheese tasting parties should be kept to the early evening.
3. Caffeine – ok, this one I knew. I think this is pretty self explanatory – you know that thing you drink in the morning to wake up? Don’t drink that before bed.
4. Medications – several over the counter medications for sinus congestion or pain relief can contain caffeine or other stimulants, make sure to check the labels if you find yourself unable to sleep while on these medications.
5. Smoked or cured meats – fermented foods also contain the amino acid tyramine, so cut out the pre-bedtime jerky and sardines (which would otherwise be the perfect bedtime snack?)
6. Chocolate – delicious, but contains caffeine, sometimes as much as a cup of coffee.
7. Tomato – the acids in tomatoes can cause heartburn and keep your tummy grumbling through a sleepless night.
8. Too much water – I didn’t think there could be such a thing as too much water, but if you drink too much before bedtime your bladder could keep you up and about for most of the night.
9. Red fatty meats – or any food this is specifically high in cholesterol and protein will mean it digests very slowly. Again, I don’t think steak is a very good pre-bed snack, but maybe aim for earlier dinners.
10. Spicy foods – another type of food that requires some digestion time, eating spicy food too close to bedtime can result in intestinal upset and keep you tossing and turning.
As a person who also suffers from insomnia quite a bit, my favourite snooze-getting advice would be a hearty workout a few hours before bed, a single cup of herbal tea, a good book, and a heated magic bag.