Sleep: Foods you should avoid eating at dinner for better sleep

A worrying amount of people have trouble falling asleep at night. This not only tires the mind but also completely drains your energy during the day.

Many people don’t realise that the reason behind your disturbed sleep cycle can often be linked to your diet. Your evening meal in particular has a substantial impact on the quality of your sleep.

Let’s take a look at some foods you should consider saying no to, especially for dinner.

Foods to avoid after 6 PM

If you want to get a good night’s sleep, you should probably avoid eating spicy food for dinner. These kinds of dishes heat up the body when you should actually be cooling it down in order to get better sleep. When your body temperature is high at night, you’ll most probably be unable to get deep sleep and hence will wake up with a low battery.

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You should also avoid eating sugary foods like sweets, jam, cornflakes, and canned fruit in the evening. They cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate which can also affect your sleeping pattern.

Fatty foods like pizzas and burgers should also be avoided at all costs during the night. It takes a lot of work for your body to digest these foods and you don’t want your organs working all night to process them, do you?

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Eat well, sleep well

If you’re wondering what kinds of foods you should be consuming in the latter half of your day, here are a few recommendations.

Nuts, like almonds and cashews, are the ideal evening snack as they contain amino acids that boost serotonin production. Serotonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle.

Some fruits also help you get good sleep, like bananas! They contain a lot of magnesium and potassium which relaxes your muscles and nerves—perfect for getting a good night’s rest. You should also consider eating cherries as they contain melatonin which also aids the sleep-wake cycle.

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Finally, instead of eating dinners that are heavy with meat opt for fish instead. Salmon and herring in particular contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids which the body needs to naturally produce melatonin.