For ZZZZs, Avoid These!

Not long ago, I dispelled the notion that eating late at night caused weight gain in my article “You are ‘When’ You Eat.” So long as you’re burning more calories than you are taking in—or burning as many calories as you’re taking in if in maintenance mode—you’re not going to gain weight, no matter what time of day it is.

That said, food and the time of day in which you eat can affect sleeping patterns.  Some foods are sleep-inducing, while others are sleep-reducing.  Caring.com recently compiled a list of five foods that are sleep-reducing.  Being sure not to eat these foods around bedtime should be easy, as just about all of them are health-sabotaging, never mind sleep-sabotaging.

Alcohol

There’s a lot of confusion about alcohol use and sleep.  Insomniacs will often reach for a nightcap to help them fall asleep.  For that, alcohol works great.  But it doesn’t help you stay asleep.  Alcohol restricts oxygen flow in the body, which adversely affects the brain, the bodily organ that needs sleep more than any other organ.  And because alcohol makes you pee like a race horse, you’ll spend a majority of the night running for the toilet than resting in bed.

Pizza

Everyone likes pizza…everyone except your digestive system, especially at bedtime.  The cheese from pizza causes flatulence, and pizza's high fat content causes bloating.  Pizza can also cause heartburn due to the high acidity of tomatoes.  Pizza has its redeeming qualities when eaten occasionally and in moderation (e.g. good source of lycopene from tomatoes, calcium from cheese), but if you’ve got a hankering for late-night takeout, pass on the pizza.

Energy Drinks

Forget drinking these late at night, don’t drink these at all!  There are tons of studies linking energy drinks to a bevy of serious health concerns like diabetes, increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart palpitations.  Caffeine can be healthful in moderate amounts, but not in the amounts that the average energy drink is packed with (a caffeinated 12 oz. can of Diet Pepsi contains 35 mg of caffeine; an 8 oz. can of Red Bull has more than double that amount at 80 mg of caffeine).  If there’s any drink worse for your health than the average can of soda, it’s the average energy drink.  Drink them at your own risk!

Chocolate

Packed with polyphenols, dark chocolate can be very healthful when consumed in moderate amounts.  But when you do eat dark chocolate, eat it midday or directly after an early dinner.  While chocolate has a modicum of caffeine compared to coffee (you’d have to eat 20 Hershey bars to equal the caffeine content in one cup of joe), it contains a stimulating amino acid called tyrosine.  Tyrosine and caffeine combine to make chocolate a treat that’s not so sweet for sleep.

Deli Meat

Yet another food best left uneaten.  Whether it’s salami or pastrami, ham or spam, preserved deli meats are loaded with sodium that can put you on at risk for heart disease.  As far as your sleep goes, these meats (or what’s left of these meats after they’ve been processed) contain a stimulative amino acid called tyramine.  Excess tyramine sends signals to your brain to release epinephrine.  Epinephrine is just the thing you want if you’re on a roller coaster ride (i.e. epinephrine is released in high doses when we experience an adrenaline rush), but not when you’re looking to wind down and relax.  As I wrote in a past piece on deli meat, avoid eating these altogether.

Sources
health.msn.com
wisegeek.com
energyfiend.com