Foods that Disturbs Your Sleep

Here are foods that can prevent you from getting a good night’s rest:

• Preserved and smoked meats. Slap your hand away when it reaches to make a ham sandwich as an evening snack. Ham, bacon, sausages, and smoked meats contain high levels of the amino acid tyramine, which triggers the brain to release norepinephrine, a brain stimulant that makes us feel alert and wired.
• Take note of Heavy, Spicy Foods. Lying down with a full belly can make you uncomfortable, since the digestive system slows down when you sleep. And spicy cuisine can lead to heartburn or GERD. Make sure to finish a heavy meal at least four hours before bedtime.
• Chocolate.  Be careful of chocolate in all its disguises. Many people are increasingly sensitive to caffeine as they get older, and even the little chocolate chunks in chocolate chip ice cream could zap you just enough to prevent ZZZZs. Chocolate also contains tyrosine, a stimulating amino acid.
• Keep Protein to a Minimum at Bedtime. Protein, an essential part of our daytime fare, is a poor choice for a bedtime snack. Protein-rich foods are harder to digest, skip the high-protein snack before bedtime and opt for a glass of warm milk or some sleep-friendly carbs, like crackers.
• Energy drinks. Red Bull and other energy drinks are high in caffeine as well as the amino acid taurine, which boosts alertness and adrenaline. Recent studies have shown that even if you drink energy drinks early in the day, the combined high dosage of taurine and caffeine can make it hard to sleep, or to sleep well, later on.
• Drinking fluids too close to bedtime can cause problems. Avoid fluids after dinner to reduce the need to go to the bathroom during the night.
• Spicy foods Like salty foods, the closer to bedtime that you eat spicy foods, the higher your chances of the hot stuff keeping you awake. Spicy food stimulates your digestive system, making it harder for you to relax. Spicy foods can also cause heartburn and upset stomach, two sleep hindrances. If you suffer with heartburn, spicy food can also make it uncomfortable to lie down
• Milk and honey promote sleep. Milk contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is a natural dietary sleep inducer. Tryptophan increases the amount of serotonin, a natural sedative, in the brain. This is why so many folk remedies include warm milk with a spoonful of honey, a simple sugar. (Carbohydrates facilitate the entry of tryptophan into the brain.) A turkey sandwich is a sleep-inducing combination of tryptophan and carbohydrates. A banana with milk gives you vitamin B6, which helps to convert tryptophan to serotonin.