Chronic sleep deprivation has terrible effects on the body, including an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions. It may also interfere with a person’s mental health, to name a few.

Getting adequate sleep is vital to good health, and your diet plays a role in it. If it’s difficult for you to fall asleep or get a sound seven to nine-hour sleep, check if the any of the following foods are in your diet:

Caffeinated foods and beverages

The effects of caffeine on the central nervous system aren’t hidden. It stimulates the body and makes you feel energized and alert. So, caffeinated foods like soda, coffee, and caffeinated products will impact your sleep and keep you up at night.

In some cases, it becomes a cycle that leads to more tiredness; you can’t get enough sleep at night, so you feel tired and compensate with more caffeine. It affects the next night’s rest and is commonly called the coffee cycle.

But again, some people are overly sensitive to caffeine while others barely feel its effects. If you fall in the former category, you may want to cut back on foods that contain this stimulant, especially before bed.

Spicy foods

Spicy foods may also keep you up for many reasons. It may cause indigestion, tummy upset, heartburn, or acid reflux. These symptoms may worsen when you lie down to sleep because of the irritation that occurs when acid passes to the throat.

In addition, spicy foods like chili peppers increase body temperature, and falling asleep may be challenging when it’s high.

Added sugar or high glycemic index foods

White bread, sweets, and foods with a high amount of artificial sugars can also interfere with your sleep. These are high glycemic foods, and research has shown how they cause insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Diets with a high sugar content cause extreme fluctuations in blood sugar levels. This triggers the release of adrenaline, cortisol, and the growth hormone, which induce hunger, irritability, and anxiety.

High glycemic index foods may make you sleepy immediately, but they’re prone to interrupting your shuteye.

Fatty foods

Sleep may also be interrupted when your fat consumption is high, especially when it’s saturated fat. You may battle with poor sleep when you consume more fried chicken or other fatty meats.

Additionally, eating highly fatty foods at night may keep you up because the digestive tract slows down when it’s almost time for bed. If the food overwhelms the digestive system, falling asleep will be a hassle. Besides, you may experience a case of acid reflux, which will likely delay your shuteye.

Fast foods or processed foods

Highly processed or fast foods can significantly disrupt the quality of anyone’s sleep, especially when consumed at night. They contain many ingredients that disturb sleep, such as saturated fats, a high sugar content, and refined carbohydrates.

In addition, these food choices affect your weight, and studies have shown that slimmer people sleep better than overweight people. Being overweight can cause sleep apnea, which will undoubtedly mess with your night’s rest.

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