11 foods you should avoid eating at night

It’s 11:47 at night. You’re snuggled up with your favorite blanket, elbow-deep in a Netflix binge, when your stomach gets the better of you with that unmistakable growl.

You stagger to the kitchen, swing open the fridge door, and bingo!—that leftover slice of pizza, half-opened carton of ice cream, or perhaps that opened bag of chips begins singing your name like an old flame. You know you shouldn’t, but it’s late.

According to PubMed, people who dine late at night tend to consume more calories, which later affects their overall health. Some foods that are tasty late at night really prove to be sleep saboteurs. Before you grab these 11 “late-night snacks,” you might want to rethink what’s on your late-night plate.

Spicy foods

Spicy foods activate your fire alarm system, raising your core body temperature when it would otherwise be falling in preparation for sleep.

ScienceDirect indicates that consuming Tabasco sauce and mustard during the dinner meal significantly disrupted the sleep of six young healthy male subjects, decreasing slow wave and stage 2 sleep, increasing sleep onset latency, and expanding total wake time.

The spice capsaicin causes thermogenesis, making your body work hard to cool down rather than entering refreshing sleep stages.

High-sugar dessert

That piece of chocolate cake is your metabolism’s nightmare after 8 PM. Sugar or a sweetened drink (compared to water) consumed before a psychosocial stress test enhanced the cortisol stress reactivity to water in females after an overnight fast.

Sugar causes blood glucose to skyrocket, resulting in an energy explosion that runs diametrically opposite to your body’s natural sleep prep process.

Fast food grease

Fried chicken and greasy burgers are a sleep-destroying, digestion-ruining pair. The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that low fiber and high consumption of saturated fats and sugars are linked to lighter, less restorative sleep with increased arousal.

This can lead to greater difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep at night. Over time, consistently consuming such foods can result in chronic sleep loss and chronic diseases such as heart failure and high blood pressure.

Alcohol

Alcohol has long walked a fine line between celebration and destruction — a substance woven into culture, yet capable of unraveling lives.

PubMed reveals that alcohol leads to decreased sleep onset latency, increased consolidated first half sleep, and increased sleep disturbance in the second half of sleep.

Alcohol first acts like a sedative, but as the body begins metabolizing alcohol, rebound effects cause many of the awakenings and agitated sleep patterns, causing you to be tired despite having slept for eight hours.

Citrus fruits

Grapefruits, oranges, and lemons possess an acidic edge that can trigger heartburn and acid reflux if eaten before bedtime. After eating, one may experience symptoms of reflux if citrus fruits are consumed two hours before going to bed.

Rich in acids, they stimulate digestive juices in the stomach, leaving you with a queasy, burning sensation that could take hours to subside.

This discomfort will interrupt your sleep cycle, leading to poorer quality sleep and daytime tiredness. To avoid this, try to consume citrus fruits earlier in the day rather than near bedtime.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate’s reputation as a health food is not extended to evening consumption. One ounce contains approximately 23mg of caffeine along with theobromine, a substance that is a mild stimulant and diuretic.

These stimulating qualities can raise your heart rate and make it difficult to sleep. Dark chocolate also contains sugar, which gives an energy boost and affects your relaxation level. To enjoy a good night’s sleep, have dark chocolate as a morning or afternoon snack instead

High-sodium foods

Pizza, processed meats, and salty snacks create a cascade of physiological disruptions that sabotage sleep quality.

High sodium intake within four hours of bedtime increases blood pressure. It forces the kidneys to work overtime, leading to frequent urination, a condition known as Nocturia, according to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Excess sodium also triggers water retention, leading to uncomfortable swelling and restless leg syndrome.

Raw vegetables

Raw carrots, celery, and bell peppers are usually crunchy and take a lot of energy to digest, resulting in dismal bloating.

Raw vegetables are harder to digest than cooked vegetables, which can keep digestive tracts working late into the night. The high fiber content, which is beneficial during the day, becomes an issue at night because it causes intestinal movement and produces gas

Ice Cream

Ice cream has three elements that disrupt sleep: a lot of sugar, fat, and cold.

In line with PubMed, eating a “sweet treat” at the onset of the resting period leads to increased cardiometabolic risk, altered central clock gene expression, and a higher propensity for weight gain.

Cold temperatures force your body to produce more heat for digestion, unlike the usual temperature drop required for good sleep.

Energy Bars

Certain energy bars labeled as healthy snack foods have hidden sleep saboteurs such as caffeine, excessive sugar, and stimulating B-vitamins. Top-selling energy bar brands have the same amount of caffeine as half a cup of coffee.

These compounds result in sleepless nights and insomnia, particularly when taken close to bedtime. Using a low-sugar, caffeine-free substitute can ensure better quality of sleep.

Caffeinated drinks

The half-life of coffee is much longer than everyone thinks, and caffeine remains active within your body for 6-8 hours after consumption.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s 2023 guidelines recommend avoiding caffeine intake 3 to 6 hours before bedtime, as even small amounts can reduce deep sleep. Energy drinks, on the other hand, spike blood sugar levels. They contain up to 300mg of caffeine, equivalent to three cups of coffee, and other stimulants like taurine and guarana.

Key takeaways

Nighttime food affects your quality of sleep, your energy levels, and your long-term health consequences. The eleven foods mentioned above cause physiological disturbances that will not allow your body to go into deep, restorative cycles of sleep

Your nighttime food choices will leave you feeling awake and refreshed, or sluggish when you wake up. Minor dietary changes can change your quality of sleep and your health within a week.

Avoid substantial, high-fat meals eaten late in the evening, as they can lead to distress and disturbed sleep. Eat light, nutritious foods instead, which promote comfort and ease of assimilation.

Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.

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