7 Tasty Foods to Avoid Before Bed

For years, health experts advised that you should never snack before bedtime. But sometimes, the right kind of snack is good fuel for your dreams.

Other times though, we make poor decisions and eat things that are not good for getting that desired beauty sleep. Here are seven foods to avoid before bed.

1 Pizza

We have all been there. After a night of drinks with friends, what tastes better than pizza? But the cheese has been shown in recent studies to cause nightmares. And while you are having scary dreams about your thighs rubbing together, that tomato sauce can cause your stomach to hurt. That is why you should avoid this food before bed.

More: 7 Things Happy People Do Before Going to Bed

If you are going to eat pizza, do it early in the evening for dinner. Eating many calories late at night is going to affect your waistline quite adversely. Not to mention that you can wreak havoc on your digestive system.

2 Sugary boxed cereals

It sounds like a bowl of sweet cereal with ice-cold milk will really hit the spot late at night. Isn’t milk supposed to help you sleep? If you are really hankering for cereal, make sure to eat one that is low in sugar and high in fiber instead.

More: 8 Essential Nutrients for a Better Night’s Sleep

Sugary cereals can cause spikes in your blood sugar that will disrupt your sleep. Many people complain about having nightmares after they eat a bowl of cereals late in the evening.

3 Spicy stuff

You might think that leftover Thai food or some other spicy food is a delicious treat, but eating it before bedtime could cause heartburn and stomach issues, which will keep you from getting those precious zzz’s.

Although spicy meals have a great number of health benefits, avoid eating any at least 4 hours before you go to bed.

4 Big beefy burgers

Just like pizza, eating something this hefty before bed is not a good decision. Moreover, meat takes a lot of digesting to break down so it will interfere with your sleep in a major way. If you crave a burger, consider trying a vegan version. You will never want to eat beefy burgers again, I promise.

If you crave a burger, opt for a vegetarian one. Vegan burgers are a lot healthier and tastier than beefy burgers. Give them a try.

Read also – 10 Ways to Veganize Your Meals

5 Orange juice

Citrus is very acidic so enjoying a glass of orange juice is not the best way to cap off a night. If you are going to choose something fruity before bed, make it an apple.

It is loaded with fiber and will help you to fall asleep. Or better, have a cup of matcha green tea or a glass of warm milk with honey.

Orange juice, even if it is freshly juiced, is certainly one of the foods to avoid before bed.

6 Pretzel sticks

Salty, crunchy and satisfying, it is hard to pass up a snack like this at night.

Plus, they seem to be so healthy. But with all that white processed flour in there, it encourages fat storage and spikes your blood sugar. Yikes! If you crave pretzels and nothing else works, opt for whole-grain varieties and use plain Greek yogurt as a low calorie and healthy dip.

7 Fruity yogurt

Speaking about yogurt, you might think yogurt is a healthy choice, especially when you choose it instead of ice cream. The problem with this seemingly healthy choice is that fruit yogurts are often full of sugars. Check the label.

Next time you go to the supermarket, stock up on plain yogurt or Greek yogurt for a better snack time option. Add some fresh or frozen berries and you will get a super healthy bedtime snack in no time.

Read also – 6 Healthiest and Tastiest Yogurt Alternatives

Sometimes a snack is in order before bedtime, but make sure that you stay away from these sleep thieves so you can get the rest you need to fuel you through your next day. These are just a few foods to avoid before bedtime, so be careful with what you eat in the evening.