5 foods you should not eat before bed

If you are guilty of this, here are five foods you should not eat before bed.

1) Chocolate

One food most people decide on as a late-night snack is chocolate. Those days when you're watching a movie or working on some assignment, a chocolate bar always comes in handy, however this is one food that should be avoided before going to bed.

This is because of the high levels of caffeine in chocolate. Consuming foods with caffeine at night can cause rapid eye movement (REM) to occur more frequently, making you feel groggy the next morning.

In addition to this, the caffeine can disturb or halt the sleep-inducing chemical processes going on in your brain and body before bedtime.

2) Ice cream

Another food to avoid at night is ice-cream. Sugary foods such as ice-cream can have an impact on your health but it takes a new dimension when eaten at night. Foods like these increase the blood sugar levels spiking it at first, which then crash when you are asleep.

What this means is that your body's adrenals are activated as if there's an emergency, blood cortisol level increases which overstimulates you and disturbs your sleep.

3) Alcohol

Another food to avoid taking at night is alcohol. You might feel a bit sleepy after a glass of wine but then alcohol also interrupts the natural sleep cycle later on during the night, it increases obstructive sleep apnea and loud snoring.

In addition, you could also get acid reflux when you consume alcohol at night.

4) Spicy Foods

If you are one of those who love late-night pepper soup or spicy barbeque fish at night, you might want to reconsider. This is because spicy food at night can lead to problems. Such foods boost your body’s temperature and this can actually make you lie awake for longer. 

5) Fries 

Fatty, cheesy and fried foods consumed at night can lead to indigestion and keep you from sleeping. This means fries is a definite no if you're thinking of a late-night snack. Experts also say fries at night can disrupt digestion and are best avoided.

Which of these foods are you guilty of consuming at night?