Can not fall asleep? These foods may be worsening your insomnia

by CMRI | Published on 20/12/2021

Do you spend your nights tossing and turning in your bed, waiting to fall asleep? Most people can’t find a simple explanation as to why they cannot sleep at night despite eating early, reducing their screen time, and doing everything possible to make sure that they can make the best use of their sleeping hours. While most people think that it’s just late-night meals and excessive screen time, that is keeping them awake at night, there is one more thing that might be adding to the problem. Wondering what? The answer is your diet. Experts from the top hospital in Kolkata suggest that the food we eat has a significant impact on our sleep cycle.

Yes, you read that right. The food that you eat might be responsible for keeping you up.

In this blog, we have listed some foods that can interfere with your sleep with the help of the best doctor for sleep disorders.

 

• Chocolate - This might be a piece of bad news for most of you, especially those who love to take a chocolate treat post-dinner. However, your favourite snack might be wreaking havoc on your sleep cycle. Chocolate contains caffeine, a fact less known to most chocolate lovers. So, when you are taking your favourite chocolate-flavoured pastry or ice cream, keep in mind that every bite you take is going to make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.

 

• Alcohol - There is a common misconception that alcohol can help your body to relax. The reality, however, is that drinking alcohol will cause your oesophagal sphincter to relax and when you lay down the sphincter is not able to perform its function of keeping the acid down in the stomach. Instead, it flows backwards, reaching your throat and causing severe heartburn which does not allow you to sleep at night.

 

• Fatty foods - Hogging on your favourite burger, eating momos with spicy chutney and munching on fries and chicken nuggets. The idea will seem perfect for a foodie, but as you are enjoying your favourite fatty foods, it is important to note that these can lead to bloating and indigestion that can interfere with your otherwise peaceful sleep.

 

• Dry fruits - These come with a lot of health benefits, but this does not hold true when it comes to your sleep. Excessive consumption of dry fruits can cause stomach discomfort and cramps, which can make it difficult for you to fall asleep at night. This is because dry fruits are loaded with fibre, and have significantly low water content.

 

• Spicy food - Hot and spicy food is the favourite of many, but eating it is going to do a lot more than just activate your taste buds. Eating spicy for on a daily basis can lead to heartburn and even elevate the body's core temperature. As such, you will have to struggle more to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. So, next time you are adding hot peppers to your meals, keep this thing in mind.

 

• Peppermint - Peppermint is another healthy food, that is not as healthy when it comes to sleep. Some people have a habit of popping a mint into their mouth after every meal. Well, it might help to freshen your breathing, but it is surely going to add to your problem of falling asleep.

 

If you are still not able to fall asleep and can't figure out why there are chances that you might be suffering from insomnia. If you are looking for the best treatment for insomnia, you should definitely consult the experts from the top hospital in Kolkata and get yourself evaluated.