How to sleep: The nine foods to avoid in your diet to help you sleep better

Everyone needs to get enough sleep to help the body to function properly, according to the NHS. But you could lower your chances of sleeping right through the night by eating any of these nine foods

Testogen have researched and revealed nine foods which could be keeping Britons awake at night.

A bad night’s sleep can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, as well as causing brains to fog and making it difficult to concentrate.

It’s also been proven that individuals who have less than seven hours of sleep a night are likely to gain weight.

A spokesperson for Testogen said: “Everyone knows how important a good night’s sleep is to help body recovery and aid mental health.

“It’s easy to forget, but what you eat does affect your sleep. As tempting as a sneaky midnight snack could be, you’ll probably regret it later.

“Most of the food is full of nutrients, which is normally good, but eating them late at night means your body is having to work harder to digest the snack when it should be slowing down ready for sleep.”

READ MORE: Sleep – the one sleep position you should avoid or risk back pain

Pasta

Full of carbohydrates, pasta starts the body’s energy storage system. Due to carbs being a source of slow-release energy, it means that it will be released exactly when you should be sleeping.

Peppermint

This is a heartburn trigger, which will cause a very uncomfortable night’s sleep. It may be prudent to turn down the offer of after-dinner snacks.

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Dried Fruit

The fibre found in dried fruit will put pressure on your digestive system, with sugar – regardless of whether it’s natural – making it a big no-no before bed.

Chocolate

Chocolate is a huge caffeine source which will leave you tossing and turning all night, it’s similar to drinking a big cup of coffee before you try to sleep. 

Spicy Food

Spices increase blood flow causing your body temperature to increase, which is the opposite of what it should be doing as you wind-down on an evening.

Celery

The water content of celery could mean you’re making trips to the toilet all night, which isn’t conducive to a good night’s sleep. 

White Bread

As tasty as toast may be, white bread is full of processed sugar meaning you’ll be feeling wide awake.

If you don’t want to completely give up bread before bed, opt for the safer brown version.

Sugary Cereals

Cereal is surprisingly sugary, which is why it’s great on a morning to give you a boost of energy at the start of the day.

This, however, is why it shouldn’t be eaten at night, you don’t want to wake up in the middle of a sugar crash.

Cheese

The old wives’ tales are true, there’s a chemical in cheese which causes your brain to work harder than it should, making it harder to turn off and enjoy some sleep.

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