Foods and drinks to avoid after 6 pm for better sleep
Doctor named the foods that should not be eaten after 6 pm (photo: Freepik)
After 18:00, you should avoid certain foods that will interfere with quality sleep. The doctor named the foods that can contribute to insomnia and what to choose instead, the Mirror reports.
What foods not to eat before bed
Dr. Oscar Duke said that enjoying holiday treats after 6 p.m. can lead to a restless night.
Alcoholic beverages, cheese, and crackers should be excluded from the menu.
“In the standard sleep cycle, you have 4 different phases. So the first two are a light sleep that you go into first of all, then you go into deeper sleep and then you go into something called REM sleep, which stands for rapid eye movement sleep, and that's when your eyes are underneath your closed eyes are moving a lot, and that's when you do your dreaming and you lay down all of your memories,” the expert explained.
In particular, a person goes through these four cycles approximately every 1.5-2 hours. So, if you sleep for 8 hours, you probably go through these cycles about 4 times during your nightly sleep.
According to the expert, these cycles are necessary to feel refreshed the next day. Certain foods, including alcoholic beverages and fatty foods such as cheese, can disrupt them.
“If you're drinking alcohol, then you normally go into a deep sleep. We all know that alcohol makes you sleepy, puts you to sleep, but you go straight to that deep sleep phase often you don't do the light sleep phase, you often get less of the rapid eye movement sleep, and you don't feel as fresh the next day,” the expert added.
Cheese can also cause digestive discomfort, others may experience symptoms of acid reflux, and some varieties (especially aged cheeses) may contain a lot of tyramine, which interferes with sleep.
What products to choose
Honey
The natural sugar contained in honey increases insulin levels and allows tryptophan to interact with the brain faster. A teaspoon of honey with chamomile tea before bed will enhance the calming effect of the drink.
Warm milk
Milk contains such an amino acid as tryptophan, which calms and helps with insomnia. This way you will be full of energy in the morning.
Cherry juice
A glass of cherry juice drunk at night helps fight insomnia, even for the elderly.
In addition, cherries, grapes, and green leafy vegetables, especially various types of cabbage, contain natural melatonin. It is also found in corn, rice, wheat, barley, oats, and wine.
Seafood
Fish, especially tuna and salmon, are rich in vitamin B6, which is actively involved in the production of melatonin and serotonin. By the way, other foods from which you can get this vitamin include garlic (only fresh) and pistachios.
Shrimp and lobsters are another source of tryptophan. A good reason to indulge in seafood delicacies at night.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
