Can't Sleep? Avoid These Worst Foods | Try these instead

Avoid These 17 Foods:
Chocolate - A chocolate treat after dinner isn't helping your REM sleep.

Alcohol - "... drinking alcohol before bed can make you more likely to wake up throughout the night and diminishes quality of sleep. We also know alcohol can lead to snoring ..."

Fatty Food - " ... high-fat foods take longer to digest, and often cause bloating and indigestion that interfere with a sound night's rest"

Dried Fruit - "Consuming too much dried fruit can bother your stomach and cause you to have gas and cramps during the night"

Hot Pepper - "Hot peppers are an easy way to boost metabolism, but consuming them late in the evening can trigger heartburn ..."

Hot Sauce  - "Hot sauce gets its heat from the compound capsaicin found in chili peppers ... Capsaicin can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to stay open for longer than usual, causing intense feelings of heartburn"

Peppermint - "... peppermint is a heartburn trigger. So, definitely stay away from it before bed!"

High-Sugar Cereal - "Eating high-sugar cereals will make your blood sugar spike and crash, which will affect your sleep."  ... Choose cereal with less than five grams of sugar per serving."

Pizza - "The combination of fat in the cheese and the acid in the tomato sauce can have a negative impact on your sleep quality"

Raw Onion - "Onions can cause gas that affects the pressure in your stomach," says Hayim. "As a result, the sphincter is forced to open, which allows your meal and acidity to enter back into your esophagus. Studies have found that raw onions can cause potent and long-lasting feelings of reflux in people who already have heartburn."

Caffeine - "Caffeine can stimulate the central nervous system several hours after consuming it ... If you're at all sensitive to it, you will probably lie awake." So skip the hot cocoa (chocolate can contain caffeine), the caffeinated tea, coffee, and soda. "Caffeine is a stimulant that may cause insomnia"

Ketchup & Tomato Sauce - "In addition to the acid that is naturally there, ketchup is usually preserved with other chemicals that make them even more acidic and may lead to heartburn." Watch out for tomato sauce, too: "Pasta and marinara sauces can contribute to indigestion and heartburn"

Cheeseburgers - "Fatty foods lead to more fragmented sleep, so you wake up the next morning not feeling refreshed."

French Fries - "Before bed, avoid foods coated in oil or that give a big 'crunch' when you eat it."

High-Protein or High-Fat meal -  "You may think a high-protein or high-fat dinner will keep you full all night, preventing you from waking. But research shows that eating a high-protein meal before bed can lead to sleep disturbances" ... And, like many other foods on this list, you may wind up with indigestion or acid reflux since you'll be lying down with a full stomach."

Matcha or Green Tea - "Green tea contains two other stimulants in addition to caffeine - theobromine and theophylline, which may cause increased heart rate, feelings of nervousness, and overall anxiety"
"Matcha, a type of green tea, also contains caffeine but is reported to have a less jittery effect compared to green tea." The health benefits of green tea are incredible though, so you should still enjoy it—but not after 3 or 4 p.m."

Water - "You should drink plenty of water during the day to stay hydrated." ... "But if you drink too much right before bed, you may find yourself awakening multiple times to urinate. Instead, start to taper off your fluid intake about three hours before bedtime." 

https://www.eatthis.com/cant-sleep-worst-foods/

 The 9 Best Foods to Eat Before Bed
Several foods may help you sleep, thanks to their content of sleep-regulating hormones and brain chemicals, including melatonin and serotonin.

Additionally, some foods contain high amounts of specific antioxidants and nutrients, such as magnesium, that are known to enhance sleep by helping you fall asleep faster or stay asleep longer.

To reap the benefits of sleep-enhancing foods, it may be best to consume them 2–3 hours before bed. This is because eating immediately before going to sleep may cause digestive issues, such as acid reflux.

 1. Almonds
Almonds are an excellent source of many nutrients, as one ounce contains 14% of your daily needs for phosphorus, 32% for manganese and 17% for riboflavin.  Eating almonds regularly has been associated with lower risks of a few chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This is attributed to their content of healthy monounsaturated fat, fiber and antioxidants.

Almonds, along with several other types of nuts, are a source of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin.  Almonds are also an excellent source of magnesium, providing 19% of your daily needs in only 1 ounce. Consuming adequate amounts of magnesium may help improve sleep quality, especially for those who have insomnia.

Magnesium’s role in promoting sleep is thought to be due to its ability to reduce inflammation. Additionally, it may help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is known to interrupt sleep.

If you want to eat almonds before bed to determine if they impact your sleep quality, a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving, or about a handful, should be adequate.

2. Turkey
Turkey is high in protein, providing 4 grams per ounce (28 grams). Protein is important for keeping your muscles strong and regulating your appetite.  Additionally, turkey is a good source of a few vitamins and minerals. A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving contains 5% of your daily needs for riboflavin, 5% for phosphorus and 9% for selenium.

Turkey does have a few properties that explain why some people may become tired after eating it. Most notably, it contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin.  The protein in turkey may also contribute to its ability to promote tiredness. There is evidence that consuming moderate amounts of protein before bed is associated with better sleep quality, including less waking up throughout the night.

3. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is a popular herbal tea that may offer a variety of health benefits.  It is well known for its content of flavones, a class of antioxidants that reduce inflammation that often leads to chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

There is also some evidence that drinking chamomile tea may boost your immune system, reduce anxiety and depression and improve skin health. In addition, chamomile tea has some unique properties that may improve sleep quality.  Specifically, chamomile tea contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to certain receptors in your brain that may promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia.

Those who drank chamomile tea also had fewer symptoms of depression, which is commonly associated with sleep problems.  Drinking chamomile tea before going to bed is certainly worth trying if you want to improve the quality of your sleep.

4. Kiwi
Kiwis are a low-calorie and very nutritious fruit.  One medium kiwi contains only 50 calories and a significant amount of nutrients, including 117% of your daily needs for vitamin C and 38% for vitamin K.  It also contains a decent amount of folate and potassium, as well as several trace minerals.

Furthermore, eating kiwis may benefit your digestive health, reduce inflammation and lower your cholesterol. These effects are due to the high amount of fiber and carotenoid antioxidants that they provide.

The sleep-promoting effects of kiwis are thought to be due to their content of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps regulate your sleep cycle.  It has also been suggested that the antioxidants in kiwis, such as vitamin C and carotenoids, may be partly responsible for their sleep-promoting effects. This is thought to be due to their role in reducing inflammation.

5. Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice is high in a few important nutrients. An 8-ounce (240-ml) serving contains 62% of your daily needs for vitamin A, 40% for vitamin C and 14% for manganese.  Additionally, it is a rich source of antioxidants, including anthocyanins and flavonols. Antioxidants may protect your cells from harmful inflammation that can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

The sleep-promoting effects of tart cherry juice are due to its high content of melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates your internal clock and signals your body to prepare for sleep.

6. Fatty Fish
Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, trout and mackerel, are incredibly healthy.   What makes them unique is their exceptional vitamin D content. For example, a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of salmon contains 525–990 IU of vitamin D, which is over 50% of your daily needs.

Additionally, fatty fish are high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA, both of which are known for reducing inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids may also protect against heart disease and boost brain health.  The combination of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D in fatty fish have the potential to enhance sleep quality, as both have been shown to increase the production of serotonin, a sleep-promoting brain chemical.  Higher levels of vitamin D, have been linked to a significant improvement in sleep quality.

7. Walnuts
Walnuts are abundant in many nutrients, providing over 19 vitamins and minerals, in addition to 2 grams of fiber, in a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving. Walnuts are particularly rich in magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese.  Additionally, walnuts are a great source of healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids and linoleic acid. They also provide 4 grams of protein per ounce, which may be beneficial for reducing appetite.

Walnuts may also boost heart health. They have been studied for their ability to reduce high cholesterol levels, which are a major risk factor for heart disease.  What’s more, eating walnuts has been claimed to improve sleep quality, as they are one of the best food sources of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin.

The fatty acid makeup of walnuts may also contribute to better sleep. They provide ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid that’s converted to DHA in the body. DHA may increase production of serotonin, a sleep-enhancing brain chemical.

8. Passionflower Tea
Passionflower tea is another herbal tea that has been used traditionally for many years to treat a number of health ailments.  It is a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants, which are known for their role in reducing inflammation, boosting immune health and reducing heart disease risk.

Additionally, passionflower tea has been studied for its potential to reduce anxiety.
This is attributed to its content of apigenin, an antioxidant that produces a calming effect by binding to certain receptors in your brain.

There is also some evidence that drinking passionflower tea increases the production of GABA, a brain chemical that works to inhibit other brain chemicals that induce stress, such as glutamate.

The calming properties of passionflower tea may promote sleepiness, so it may be beneficial to drink it before going to bed.


9. White Rice
The major difference between white and brown rice is that white rice has had its bran and germ removed, which makes it lower in fiber, nutrients and antioxidants.

Nevertheless, white rice still contains a decent amount of a few vitamins and minerals. Its carb content and lack of fiber contribute to its high glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly a food increases your blood sugar.  It has been suggested that eating foods with a high glycemic index, such as white rice, a few hours before bed may help improve sleep quality.

It has also been reported that white rice may be most effective at improving sleep if it is consumed at least one hour before bedtime.

Despite the potential role that eating white rice may have in promoting sleep, it is best consumed in moderation due to its lack of fiber and nutrients.

Other Foods That May Promote Sleep
    Milk: Another known source of tryptophan, milk has been shown to improve sleep in the elderly, especially when taken along with melatonin and paired with exercise.

    Bananas: Bananas contain tryptophan and are a good source of magnesium. Both of these properties may help you get a good night’s sleep.

    Oatmeal: Similar to rice, oatmeal is high in carbs and has been reported to induce drowsiness when consumed before bed. Additionally, oats are a known source of melatonin.

    Cottage cheese: Contains a significant amount of casein, which is a milk protein that is well known to sustain overnight muscle repair and growth when consumed before bed.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-to-help-you-sleep#section11