The Foods That Keep You Awake At Night And In The Morning

Foods That Keep You Awake At Night

Sugary Foods: sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, juices and drinks.
Alcohol: beer, wine, etc.
Caffeine: coffee, cocoa, tea, etc.
Spicy Foods: peppers, sauces, curries, etc.
Fatty Foods: cheese, extra oil, pizzas, fried foods, etc.

Foods That Fuel You In The Morning

Fruit Shake: fiber, vitamin C, antioxidant, minerals
Almonds: vitamins B, magnesium, fiber
Pumpkin seeds: zinc, iron, minerals and vitamin K
Bananas: fiber, vitamin B, potassium, and magnesium
Oatmeal: fiber, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamin B1, iron
Avocado: fiber, minerals, vitamin E, monounsaturated fat, and folate
Fish: omega 3, calcium, phosphorus, and minerals
Green Tea: amino acid L-theanine, and caffeine

If you are feeling anxious at night, it could be the reaction to something unhealthy you just ate. Every meal that you have cannot be a good meal. When we talk about some foods that hinder you to sleep, there are plenty of healthy foods that keep you awake surprisingly.

Getting enough restful sleep is essential for your overall health. In fact, not getting enough sleep for a longer period can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health as well as increase your likelihood of developing health conditions. Health professionals cannot overstate the importance of getting enough sleep. Around 45% of adults in Australia and the United States do not get the recommended 7–9 hours of sleep. In addition, 33% of people in the United States suffer from a sleeping disorder, which refers to difficulty falling asleep, remaining conscious, or getting adequate sleep.

There are many factors that disrupt sleep, and food is one of them. This blog will enlighten you about foods that keep you awake at night. This information will help you to cut these food items from your diet. Although there is no direct link between insomnia and certain foods, you should not consume everything before going to bed as it may irritate your sleep. There should be an appropriate gap between your last meal and bedtime. Now, let’s take a detailed look and explore the different kinds of food items that cause impaired sleep.

Foods That Keep You Awake At Night

Inadequate sleep at night can make you feel exhausted and annoyed for the whole day, and if it persists for a longer period, it can result in serious issues. In this article, we have listed certain foods and drinks that make sleep hard for us. Hence, we should avoid them before going to bed.

Sugary foods

According to research, sugar consumption before bedtime may result in restless sleep. In a
recent study, volunteers who consumed more sugar slept for shorter periods of time in deep non- REM sleep. Sugar overload disrupts the sleep cycle and can be found in whites, potatoes, and candy. Better sleep will result from removing this a few hours before going to bed. Furthermore, these items contain fats that our bodies take longer to digest, resulting in agitation.

Alcohol

Many people believe that alcohol induces sleep by acting as a sedative. According to Hudak, “maybe at first, you feel drowsiness, and you feel your body under the effects of that depressant. She further explains.” However, drinking alcohol will mess up your sleep.” However, it is preferable to avoid alcohol four to six hours before bedtime for a night’s sound sleep. Alcohol may have a negative effect on REM sleep, according to a recently published study. A study explains that alcohol might reduce sleep time, causing a negative impact on REM sleep.

Caffeine

It is no wonder that caffeine disrupts sleep. It has been demonstrated that caffeine-containing drinks like coffee, green tea, energy drinks, and soda can cause anxiety and restlessness. But for how long should you avoid caffeine before bedtime? One study found that consuming 400 mg of moderate caffeine within six hours of going to bed can disrupt sleep significantly.

Spicy Foods

Even though spicy food can be delicious, it does not always mean that you will sleep well if you have it before bedtime. An Australian study found that the capsaicin in chili peppers and other spicy foods raises the core temperature of your body, which needs to be reduced for having a sound sleep. For people with health illnesses like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acidic and spicy foods can cause severe heartburn and significant discomfort.

Fatty Foods

According to several studies, consuming fatty foods like fast food, processed meat, fried foods, baked goods, and coconut oil—before bed can hinder sleeping and disturb your circadian rhythm. You probably weren’t aware of the fact that a diet high in saturated fats and low in fiber can make the sleeping process harder for you. According to research, your sleep patterns may be disrupted if you consume more fat, especially saturated fat. Another study that includes 459 women found that participants’ total sleep time decreased as they consumed more total fat and saturated fat.

Fatty foods make people feel full and uncomfortable, making it hard for them to feel at ease. In addition, indigestion and acid reflux may be caused by them, resulting in a negative impact on sleep quality. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, this may be because your digestive tract slows down while you sleep. So eating fatty foods before bedtime may overwhelm the digestive system, causing discomfort that can keep you awake at night.

Salty Foods

You must have heard multiple times that too much salt is harmful to health. It is true that consuming too much salt can raise blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease. However, there is also a direct correlation between sleeping hours of your night and your daily salt intake. According to experts, salt is one common food that may be making you sleepy and causing you disturbance frequently at night.

Consuming a meal with a lot of sodium at dinner may cause fluid retention. Salt could be a blaming factor if you find that you must go to the bathroom multiple times throughout the night. According to a 2017 Nagasaki University study, participants with high salt intake saw a decrease in nighttime bathroom trips when their salt intake was reduced from 11 grams per day to eight grams per day.

What Happens When You Eat Right Before Bed

Nightmares, indigestion issues, and weight gain are all possible side effects of late-night eating. The metabolism of the body can slow down if you eat anything before going to bed. The body’s metabolism slows down at night to get ready for sleep but eating foods that are high in carbohydrates and are hard to digest can increase your weight.

Consuming large meals prior to bedtime can lead to risks like acid reflux, indigestion, and heartburn. The body rests at a horizontal angle after eating and getting into bed, allowing stomach acid to easily enter the esophagus, and causing acid reflux. The risk of developing health issues can be decreased by giving the body enough time to digest before going to bed.

How Long Before Bed Should You Stop Eating

Nothing beats eating a large homemade meal before going to bed. But is it harmful to eat before going to bed? How long should I wait before going to sleep after eating? You should avoid going to bed immediately after eating, according to experts. There must be a gap of at least three hours between bedtime and eating. This act helps you to experience sound sleep and gives your body enough time to digest food to prevent indigestion, acid reflux, or an upset stomach.

Healthy Foods That Keep Your Brain Awake in the Morning

Do you feel groggy when you get up? The continuous yawning, tired eyes, and the resemblance of a desk or office table like a kind of temporary bed, we experience these things due to lack of good sleep. It is essential we examine both the quality and quantity of our sleep and how we nourish our bodies each day.

Caffeine consumption is often the first thing much resort to when they feel tired. However, beverages with high sugar and caffeine content are not the healthiest choices for people who want more energy to start their day. We will only feel worse if we resort to processed foods with added sugar for energy. Natural whole foods can make us feel light and give us the boost we need to stay energized.

It is high time that we reach out to some of our brain’s favorite attention and memory boosters that also keep us awake.

Fruit Shake

A fruit shake made from natural sugars like honey and super-healthy blueberries can boost short-term memory and provide the vitamins and minerals our body needs.

Almonds

Almonds provide a substantial amount of healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, and high-quality protein. They have high magnesium content, which helps fight muscle fatigue, and a lot of B vitamins, which help your body turn food into energy. Almonds can be eaten as a mid-morning snack or added to your morning granola.

Pumpkin seeds

They are high in iron, zinc, and minerals that aid in the transportation of oxygen to the brain, enabling nerve cells to communicate with one another and enhancing brain power. They are considered tasty, low-cost, and healthy snacks.

Bananas

Bananas can act as a big booster for your brain. They are easy to eat when you’re on the go, thereby fueling your body. This fruit has a lot of fiber; hence it slows down the absorption of sugar into the blood and is high in potassium. It is also a good source of B vitamins and magnesium.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a delicious breakfast option that compliments bananas well. Oatmeal contains a high amount of fiber and carbohydrates, So if we consume it early in the morning, the body will absorb it slowly throughout the day. Give oatmeal a try if you do not eat it normally. It’s highly possible that the days you spend eating oatmeal will make you more awake and productive than usual.

Avocado

Avocados are packed with healthy fats, minerals, vitamins, and energy that lasts for hours. They have a high fiber content, which keeps our blood sugar stable and prevents sugar highs and lows. Try adding avocado to your fruit plate in the morning or blending it into a smoothie with a deliciously creamy consistency, or topping your eggs with sliced avocado as energy boosters.

Fish

We know that fish is beneficial for the brain as it contains a lot of Omega-3 fats that improve memory and slow the aging process of the brain while providing the energy it needs.

Green Tea

Although green tea contains caffeine, this is not the component that gives you energy. L-theanine, on the contrary, is the amino acid that calms the mind and prevents you from sleeping. Green tea’s amino acids can also have a positive effect on your brain.

Final Thoughts

Our bodies need a good night’s sleep so we should try our best to take 7-8 hours of sleep.
Avoiding drinks and foods that keep you awake may help if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Alcohol, refined carbohydrates, caffeinated beverages, spicy foods, foods high in fat, and caffeinated beverages have all been linked in studies to result in poor quality sleep and shorter sleep duration. Consider limiting or avoiding the foods listed earlier before bedtime to promote restful sleep and reduce the likelihood of waking up.

Healthy whole foods should be included in your diet to ensure stable blood sugar and high energy levels. This act can be done by making little adjustments to how you fuel your body in the morning. You can combat fatigue and feel energized the whole day by incorporating breakfast foods into your morning routine.