Foods to Avoid Before Bedtime

The last thing you want to do at night is get into your large bed and struggle to sleep because you’re eaten food that isn’t settling in your stomach well. If you’re hankering for a bedtime snack or beverage, don’t just grab the first thing that sounds good, make sure you avoid the following foods so that you can get the sleep you need.

Pizza
You might want to rethink that late-night order for pizza for a lot of reasons. That cheesy topping might give you nightmares, according to a recent study, and the acidic tomato sauce can lead to tummy aches and 2 a.m. trips to the bathroom. Plus, pizza is really more than a bedtime snack; eating a second dinner adds a lot of extra calories that you probably don’t need.

Coffee
Some people enjoy you stand their pillows up against their headboard, whilst they enjoy a coffee with some tv before bed without losing a wink of sleep, most are not so lucky. If caffeine affects your sleep, try not to have any later than six hours before bedtime.

Sugary Cereal
We get it. Sometimes a bowl of cereal at bedtime is just the thing. But you’re better off sticking with a low-sugar, high-fibre kind, like Cheerio’s or bran flakes. Sugary cereals digest rapidly in your system, so the spike in blood sugar could throw off some of your sleep hormones, and low-fibre diets are linked to lighter sleep.

Spicy Foods
Spicy foods do more than stimulate your taste buds, but they also can irritate your stomach (particularly problematic if you’re prone to heartburn), which can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep

Soda
Between the bubbles and the possible caffeine, soda is a no-no before bedtime. And if it’s regular not diet soda, it’s chock-full of sugar, which is super-stimulating. Sugar is also linked to shallower, less restful sleep.

Wine
While a glass or two of wine might initially make you sleepy, alcohol actually disrupts your natural sleep patterns. Regularly consuming alcohol (especially before bedtime) can worsen your sleep quality and also means you might wake up in the middle of the night and early in the morning to pee.

Orange Juice
Citrus fruits are very acidic, and that’s problematic if you have acid reflux or a sensitive bladder. Try eating a whole piece of fruit, such an apple, instead. The carbohydrates can actually help your sleep, while the fibre helps you absorb the sugar more slowly.

Burgers
A heavy, fatty meal like a burger gets your digestive tract working hard, which can be disruptive if you’re trying to get to sleep. A recent study found that eating too much saturated fat is linked to lighter sleep with more wakefulness.

Fat-Free Salad Dressing
It sounds virtuous, but fat-free salad dressing is a health-food don’t. If you check the ingredient list you’ll see that this product is essentially sugar water, with flavour added. Do yourself a favour and whip up a quick vinaigrette. The oil will help it taste better, be more satisfying, and help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in salad greens and other vegetables.

Extra Tip: Make sure your mattresses is best suited for you. Our Mattresses can be made to any size including; extra long, odd, undersized, shaped, or European metric sizes. This way if you do need a larger mattress to fit your large bed we have you covered.

So hopefully you can avoid these foods before you get into your long bed at night and that way you will get the best sleep possible for your mind and body.