Want Better Sleep? Avoid Consuming These Things at Night
Do you want better sleep tonight? Are you finding it difficult to sleep at night? Are you waking up overly tired?
You may be consuming something before bed that is hindering your sleep. Lack of sleep can cause many different health issues and can negatively impact your life and those around you. Focusing on getting better sleep each night should be a priority of yours. While you have the common external factors such as bright lights, noise, and the temperature of your bedroom, there are actually other factors such as the things you consume that can hinder your ability to get quality rest.
This article is going to lay out some of the things you should avoid consuming before bed to give you the best chance of better sleep.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
Table of contents
Want Better Sleep at Night? Stop Eating and Drinking These Things Before Bed…
Better sleep isn’t difficult if you stop eating these foods and beverage before you go to bed:
1. Large Meals
To kick things off, we actually have an extreme on both ends of the spectrum. Not only can large meals hinder your sleep, but going to bed hungry (in a severe caloric deficit) also negatively affects your sleep. If you want better sleep, you need to find a happy medium.
Related Article: 6 Nighttime Weight Loss Hacks to Start Doing Tonight
When you consume large meals before bed, it can cause you some discomfort due to bloating and distention. Having a large meal in your stomach will most certainly cause your body to start the digestion process which will cause an increase in body temperature. This increase in temperature can be enough to alter your sleep cycle. Additionally, it can cause you to feel restless and keep you awake. To combat this, try working the bulk of your calories and meals earlier in the day.
On the flip side, dropping your calories too low and creating a sense of hunger can also cause you to have a poor night’s sleep. If you’ve ever tried cutting your calories, you have probably been in the situation where you wake up in the middle of the night hungry and starving.
If you want to get better sleep, you should focus on cutting your calories slowly – around 250-500 each day rather than going to the extreme and crash-dieting.
2. Caffeine
It should go without saying that anything with caffeine is probably a bad idea to consume late at night before bed. This can be anything from a pre-workout, coffee, caffeinated beverages like soda or tea, and energy drinks. Caffeine will cause you to feel energized due to the stimulant properties and will not allow you to properly relax and unwind to get restful sleep. If your adrenals are fatigued, the effects of caffeine might not affect you, but that is a very specific situation and not one that many will be in.
Caffeine can stay in your system for upwards of seven hours. Consuming it late at night can completely disrupt your sleep the entire night until it wears off and you start feeling tired and fatigued. If you want better sleep, try to skip the caffeine after 2pm to give your body enough time to let the effects of caffeine subside (maybe even earlier if you are sensitive to stimulants).
3. Alcohol
Some people say alcohol helps put them to sleep. Generally, this is with a population who doesn’t regularly consume alcohol. Those who consume alcohol regularly will become immune to the sedative effects and will no longer feel the same effects from their adult beverage of choice. But research has shown that it can actually be disruptive.
Sure, that initial ability to fall asleep may sound good but the second half of the night can be disastrous. Many will find that the second half of the night they will toss and turn and not be able to achieve deep REM sleep.
The overall sleep quality of the individual decreases due to the effects of alcohol. This can cause the individual to feel more tired and lethargic the following day and obviously, this has a domino effect on performance in the workplace as well as the gym. Those who use alcohol as a way to fall asleep soon find they need more and more in order to get the same effect. Unfortunately, this can lead to dependency, abuse, and even alcoholism.
Click here to continue reading…
*Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links or ads, which means we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. These commissions help support the operation and maintenance of our website, allowing us to continue producing free valuable content. Your support is genuinely appreciated, whether you choose to use our links or not. Thank you for being a part of our community and enjoying our content.
PLEASE CONSIDER SHARING THIS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA TO HELP OTHERS LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC. SIMPLY CLICK BELOW!
