What should I NOT eat before going to sleep?

What you choose to eat throughout the day directly influences the quality of your night's rest. According to various nutrition and sleep specialists, proper nutrition before bed not only promotes more restful sleep, but also contributes to essential functions such as cell regeneration, a strengthened immune system, and the balance of vital processes during sleep.

“The food you eat before bed can have a profound effect on the quality of your sleep. While some foods promote rest, others can be counterproductive,” explains Chelsie Rohrscheib, a sleep specialist at Wesper in New York.

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Waking up multiple times during the night or having difficulty getting back to sleep could be a sign that certain dietary factors are negatively affecting your sleep. Raj Dasgupta, senior medical advisor for Sleepopolis in California, recommends paying attention to your body's signals: "If you find yourself needing to get up frequently to go to the bathroom or waking up feeling tired, it's likely that certain foods are interfering with your night's rest."

Rohrscheib adds that There are foods that are more likely to cause gastrointestinal discomfort or heartburn, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Foods you should AVOID if you want to sleep like a newborn

1. Spicy foods

Highly seasoned foods stimulate stomach acid production, especially if consumed in large quantities and close to bedtime. This can cause acid reflux and heartburn, causing discomfort that prevents sleep. Capsaicin can also have stimulating effects on the nervous system, increasing brain activity and making it difficult to relax.

2. Fatty or very heavy foods

These types of foods require more digestive work, which can lead to bloating, reflux, and indigestion. Fat also relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to rise into the esophagus, causing heartburn or chest pain.

3. Caffeine

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, a key neurotransmitter for inducing sleep. It can also reduce the time we spend in deep sleep and cause frequent awakenings. Even if you manage to fall asleep after consuming caffeine, you may experience fragmented or shallow sleep, resulting in fatigue the next day.

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4. Alcohol

It may initially induce drowsiness, but as the body metabolizes it, it can cause sleep disruptions, especially during REM and deep sleep, which are essential for proper recovery. Furthermore, its diuretic effect can cause you to get up repeatedly to go to the bathroom, disrupting your rest.

5. Ultra-processed and high-sugar foods

Foods with added sugars and highly processed foods cause sudden spikes and drops in glucose levels, which can lead to nighttime awakenings and difficulty falling asleep. "When blood sugar levels drop too low, the brain wakes us up to seek more food and stabilize glucose," says Rohrscheib. These foods stimulate the nervous system, interfere with the circadian rhythm, and disrupt the production of melatonin and serotonin.

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