7 Foods to Never Eat Before Bed

If you want a good night’s sleep, you must prepare for it by using the right pillows and mattress and sleeping in cool pajamas. While limiting screen time and avoiding high-intensity exercise before bed is important as well, the foods you consume should be heavily considered. Your late-night snack can play a critical role in the quality of sleep you receive and can cause you a night full of havoc. 

If you want a calm, relaxing, and peaceful night, here are seven foods you should avoid. 

1. Pizza 

Pizza may satisfy your tastebuds but it will get your stomach squirming before you fall to sleep. The grease and salt from the pizza can result in heartburn, while the acid from the pizza sauce can cause reflux. The salt can also increase your thirst, causing you to drink excess water and resulting in many bathroom breaks throughout the night. 

2. Ice Cream

Sometimes you may crave a sweet treat before you hop into bed but ice cream shouldn’t be the item you grab. Ice cream is high in sugar, which can increase your insulin levels, making it difficult to fall asleep and to stay asleep throughout the entire night. 

3. Cheese

Eating too much cheese before you climb into bed can cause bloating, gas, and stomach pain, particularly if you have any type of dairy intolerance. Even if you aren’t allergic to dairy, you may want to cut back on all dairy products shortly before bed. Also, some aged cheeses contain an amino acid that causes you to become more alert, resulting in later bedtimes and a harder time falling asleep.   

4. Hamburgers

If you’ve had a busy day and need to eat late at night, make sure you avoid all types of fatty foods such as hamburgers. These foods are filling but they are also more difficult to digest, causing you to experience bloating and gas. Your digestive system will also kick in and your body will get to work rather than relax and let you fall into a deep sleep. 

5. Sugar-Filled Foods

After dinner, avoid munching on foods filled with sugar such as candy, processed foods, baked goods, and sugary cereals. These foods all contain high levels of sugar, which can keep you awake. Plus, you’ll want to be prepared for that sugar crash that can make you feel sluggish rather than tired before bed. 

6. Watermelon

While watermelon is healthy and offers a long list of health benefits, it is also a natural diuretic and can cause you to go to the bathroom more often than usual. You may find that after eating a bowl of this delicious fruit, you are constantly using the restroom, resulting in a night of interrupted sleep. 

There are many fruits and vegetables that are natural diuretics including celery, grapes, asparagus, onions, and bell peppers. 

7. Excess Food

If you are reaching for a late-night snack, make sure it is a small snack and not an entire feast. When you eat too much before bed, you affect your digestive system. Your food may also cause excessive gas and bloating, and you may not feel well. It can be difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, and receive quality sleep with too much food in your stomach. If you truly want a late-night snack, grab one handful of unsalted almonds, a few cherries, or eat a banana. 

By making smart food choices before you head to bed, you will notice your quality of sleep improves. However, this isn’t the only way to improve your sleep each night. Moisture-wicking pajamas will help you better regulate your own body temperature and prevent those dreaded night sweats. Check out our collection of Cool-jams nightshirts for women, which are available in many colors and patterns, as well as our collection of cooling pajamas for men to help you sleep cool, comfortable, and peaceful all night long.