Did you wake up feeling groggy? Your diet may be ruining your chances of getting quality sleep at night. It is well-known that we should avoid drinking coffee before we go to bed. But there may be other foods and beverages preventing you from sleeping well too.

To get much better sleep at night, here are some foods and drinks to avoid before bedtime:

Alcohol

While drinking a tipple or two may help you to drift off to sleep quicker, it could be the reason why you are waking in the middle of the night. When someone drinks alcohol before bed, it can wake you during the important stages of the sleep cycle.

Additionally, alcohol has been shown to make sleep apnea worse, increase sleepwalking, and even worsen memory problems.

Broccoli

As we all know, broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins that is great for our health. However, it also contains insoluble fiber. Our bodies cannot digest broccoli fast, which means if you eat it just before bed, then your body is still digesting as you sleep. As your body works to digest it, you may find that you cannot get a good sleep.

Spicy Foods

Eating spicy foods – such as a hot curry – before bedtime could cause heartburn. If you have ever suffered from bad heartburn, you will know just how bad it can affect sleep. When you lie down in bed, this can make acid reflux worse, therefore, it is best to wait a while before sleeping.

Also, if you consume spicy food before bed your body may struggle to drop temperature as you sleep. Our body’s core temperature naturally drops as we sleep, however, this may be disrupted if hot food has been consumed shortly before bedtime.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce is best to be avoided before sleep, for the same reasons as spicy food. The reason why tomato sauce is not good for sleep is that it is high in acidity. If acidic foods are consumed sooner than three hours before bed, it can cause heartburn and indigestion during the night.

Dark Chocolate

As we all know, dark chocolate is a natural source of caffeine. But you may not be aware that dark chocolate can contain a quarter of the caffeine that is in a cup of coffee!

Additionally, dark chocolate is a source of amino acid which helps to keep people more alert – not something we need before a relaxing sleep!

Steak

Before bedtime, any food that is high in fat and protein should be left well alone. It can take the body longer to process high-protein foods like steak and chicken. The issue here is that as you sleep, your digestion speed slows by 50 percent. As your body works at digesting food, you may struggle to get a good quality sleep.

Orange Juice

Orange juice should be avoided before bed, for the same reasons as tomato sauce. It is highly acidic, which is not a good idea, especially if you suffer from reflux. Orange juice is also a very sugary drink, which we all know is not great before bed either!

How to Get Better Sleep

Getting good quality sleep at night is essential to your overall health. During sleep, your body restores itself, but if you are eating or drinking foods that keep your body awake, your body cannot get what it needs during the night.

Here are some of the best foods and beverages you can consume before bed:

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is high in antioxidants, which may help you get sleepy before bedtime. It is proven to help improve the quality of sleep for those who drink it just before bed.

Tart Cherry Juice

Tart cherry juice contains the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, which can help promote quality sleep at night.

Almonds

Almonds are an excellent source of nutrients and contain lots of antioxidants too. As it is a natural source of melatonin, it can help signal your body to get ready for sleep.