Did you know that having deserts after dinner actually affects the quality of your sleep? Worse still if you have them right before sleep. Many people have a habit of getting supper as they tend to get hungry a few hours after dinner, especially if they stay up late. Well, if you really do need to have a snack before bed, try to avoid these foods:
#Caffeinated Drinks
Caffeine, usually found in coffee, tea, and chocolates is used to keep people awake. Need I explain more? It excites our central nervous system and will keep your mind running in overdrive if you take it before going to bed. However, it is also true that caffeine affects different people differently, so make sure you know what its effects are on you.
#Desserts
If you have a sweet tooth like me, you will know that a sweet dessert such as ice cream is a must after every meal! However, anything with high sugar content (like ice cream) is detrimental to our sleep as it takes a long time to digest. If taken before bed, our body will have to continue processing the food without getting the rest that it needs.
#Pizza
These days, thanks to the marvel that is food delivery services, ordering fast food for supper is easier than ever. Although pizza tastes AMAZING, even when it is leftover from dinner, it also contains high levels of the amino acid - Tyramine, which keeps our brains awake. Besides, tomatoes (whether in the paste or as toppings) are acidic which is unhelpful to our livers.
#Fried Chicken
Another example of fast food, fried chicken (or any red meat in general, actually) should be avoided as supper. This is because of the high protein count that requires a huge amount of energy and time to digest, affecting the body's rest.
#Diuretic Food
Cucumbers (you can still use them as masks!), watermelons and most alcohols are diuretic foods and will affect your sleep quality by causing the urge to pee in the middle of the night. Although we sleep in cycles, actually getting up between cycles will make it harder to fall back to sleep, thus affecting your sleep rhythm.
Yes, supper is fun and supper is usually plenty tasty, but if you do care about your health and you do care about your sleep, it's best to avoid these foods. In fact, it's best to avoid all foods at least 3 hours before going to bed!
