5 foods to avoid to get a good night's sleep

Are you one of those people who toss and turn throughout the night while thinking about the world's problems? Well, there are a lot of us who experience some rather long, sleepless nights, thanks to stress. It has been proven that what we eat throughout the day, and especially at dinner time, can significantly affect the quality of our sleep. Here are some foods that you must avoid in order to get sound sleep at night.
Chocolate
Nothing like a piece of dark chocolate to help you relax at night, right? Wrong! The hidden caffeine and sugar is definitely not doing you any favours in the sleep quarter. The chocolate may give you a nice high, but it also gives you a certain rush of hormones that can keep you up all night.Best to indulge in that piece of chocolate quite a few hours before bedtime.
High-carb meals
Do you remember being told this as a child: "Eat carbs, have a heavy meal before you go to bed. This will ensure you sleep well." Guess what? That advice is so not relevant anymore. You may have noticed that the nights when you had those cheesy pasta dishes are the very same nights when you tossed and turned and woke up feeling like the dog's dinner. Leave those high-carb, high-fat meals as lunch-time options.
Cereals
The easiest thing to reach out for when you have no time to eat a proper meal for dinner is that box of cereal with a healthy pouring of milk. This sounds like the healthiest option, right? Well, sadly most of the processed cereals that come in these pre-packaged boxes are extremely high in sugar and give your blood sugar a definite spike. Just what you don't need prior to bed-time. Save those processed sugary snacks for breakfast, if you absolutely have to indulge in them.
Garlic
This delicious aromatic ingredient can make any dish absolutely divine. Personally, I love anything that has garlic in it, and happen to know a lot of people who use garlic rather generously in their dishes. But here is the bad news. Garlic is known as the "hot herb". The chemicals in garlic can give you heartburn if eaten too close to bedtime. If you are cooking a delicious meal, keep the garlic low or leave it out altogether
Red Meat
Do you love a juicy steak for dinner? Do you absolutely love getting your teeth into a dripping beef burger? Well, here is a fact: red meat is loaded with proteins and fats that will keep your body working hard throughout the night. Your body gets all fired up to break down and digest the meat that takes much longer than any other food. To achieve a deep restful slumber, you want your digestive system at peace and working on minimum capacity.
Verdict: If you suffer from insomnia or restless interrupted sleep, make sure you keep a little food and sleep journal, which will enable you to track your sleep patterns in relationship with your eating habits.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com