Sleep deprivation is linked to a significant impact on one’s life expectancy. When you eat certain foods that make it even more difficult to fall asleep, you’re actually compounding the effects of RLS. Following is a list of 6 foods you should avoid before bedtime:
Celery
This crunchy staple seems harmless enough; and it is if you eat it at least several hours before bedtime. However, celery and several other foods that contain a high percentage of water, such as cucumbers, watermelon and radishes, are natural diuretics that could cause you to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
Tomatoes
This ordinarily healthful delight contains a large concentration of tyramine, an amino acid that triggers a stimulant that ratchets up brain activity and can prevent sleep.
Cheese Pizza
Awfully enticing at all hours of the night, cheese pizza is high in fat and can make it tough for your digestive system to break it down. The resulting gastro-intestinal distress can keep you up.
Black Bean Chili
This tasty dish should be avoided near bedtime at all costs. The body has a tough time absorbing beans and the tumult they cause in your tummy will keep you awake.
Dark Chocolate
Good for your health if consumed in small quantities in the daytime, dark chocolate has a high concentration of caffeine that will keep you alert when you should be sleeping.
Steak
A guilty pleasure to those of us who try to minimize our intake of red meat, a slice of a juicy steak might be okay for lunch every once in a while. However, it contains lots of protein and marbled fat, substances which are difficult to digest.
Other foods and beverages that you should avoid near bedtime include gumdrops, tacos, carbonated soft drinks, alcohol, coffee and broccoli (it is extremely difficult to digest).
