Nothing is more stressful than lying down on your bed and gazing at stars to sleep, particularly after all the hard work and running around throughout the day. There are times when you struggle to get a good night’s sleep and it becomes difficult to keep your eyes closed for longer.
Nutritionist Avni Kaul says, alongside the time to time advice to avoid looking at your phone, taking a bath, reading a book comes new rules on what you should eat and refrain before bedtime. While you all know that you must eat and drink to get a good night’s sleep, there are times you end up consuming foods and drinks that can keep you wide awake.
In this article, Delhi’s top Nutritionist, Dietician and the Founder of NutriActivania talks about foods you should refrain from to get a good night’s, especially if one has problems sleeping at night.
Chocolate
Nothing better than a piece of dark chocolate to help you relax at night, correct? It’s wrong. The hidden caffeine and sugar are certainly not doing you any favors in the sleep aspect. The chocolate could give you a nice high, but it also gives you a high dose that makes your hormones rush which can keep you up all night. It is suggested to stay away from chocolate before bedtime.
High Carbohydrate Meals
You might have remembered being told this as a child, eat carbohydrates, have a heavy meal before you go to sleep. This will make sure you sleep well. Guess what? This advice is not relevant anymore. You might have seen that the nights when to consume those cheesy pasta dishes are exactly the same nights when you tossed and turned and got up feeling restless. Leave those high-carbohydrates, high-fat meals for the lunch-time rather than dinner.
Garlic
This tasty and aromatic ingredient can make any dish absolutely delicious. Most people love anything that has garlic in it, and a lot of people who use garlic more generously in their meals but this is not good news. Garlic is known as a hot herb. The chemicals present in garlic can give you heartburn if consumed too close to bedtime. If you are cooking a meal, keep the garlic low or leave it out completely.
Cereals
The simplest thing to reach out for when you have hardly any time to eat a proper meal for dinner is the box of cereal with a healthy addition of milk. This seems like the healthiest option. Well, unfortunately, most of the processed cereals that come in the pre-packaged boxes are extremely high in sugar and give your blood sugar an instant spike. Just what you do not require prior to bed-time. Keep those processed sugary snacks for breakfast, if you really feel like indulging in them.
P.S. Sleeping disorder can also be due to some hidden causes. If you see that you are following the above-mentioned criteria to get a night of better sleep but are still unable to sleep well you should consult your doctor.
Avni Kaul is a leading Dietitian & Nutritionist in Delhi NCR and the Founder of Nutri Activania. She holds a Master's Degree in Food and Nutrition from the University of Delhi and is a Certified Diabetes Educator from Project Hope and the International Diabetes Federation.
Her extensive experience includes serving as a Leicester Mamma's Ambassador, trained in Lactation Counselling with the NHS, United Kingdom.
Ms. Kaul specializes in key areas such as Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices, Pre- and Post-natal Diets, Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, and Holistic Health and Nutrition.
Nutri Activania, founded by Avni Kaul, a leading Dietitian & Nutritionist in Delhi & NCR. Offers personalized, science-based nutrition guidance for holistic health, wellness, fat loss, and nutrition.