The aim of this write up is to enable you to know foods and drinks that worsen insomnia. It is very painful when you see someone beside you fast asleep, when you are reluctantly awake. At one point you may even wake your partner, so that you can inform him or her that you can’t sleep. You keep checking the clock and calculating how much potential SLEEP TIME you have left until morning. You try every single sleeping position you can think of in the hope it will make a difference. When you finally fall asleep. It is always 20 minutes before the alarm goes off. By 7 am you’re pretty sure you could sleep for a full 8 hours. But you can’t continue because you have to get up!
Someone with insomnia finds it difficut to fall asleep. You may stay asleep or wake up too early and not be able to go back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects millions of people globally depending on their age. Adults need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every day. Knowing what causes your insomnia is important before treatment.
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This article looks at:
- Types of insomia
- Causes of Insomnia
- Foods and drinks that worsen insomnia and
- Dietary changes and habits.
TYPES OF INSOMNIA
How much sleep is enough differs from one person to another. At some point many adults experience short term (acute) insomnia that lasts for days or even weeks. This occur due to stress or traumatic event. On the other hand, some people have long term (chronic) insomnia. It lasts for a month or more. That being said. Before we move to foods and drinks that worsen Insomnia. Let’s quickly analyze medical conditions or drugs that worsens insomnia.
CAUSES OF INSOMNIA
Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be associated with other medical conditions or medications.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS / HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT WORSEN INSOMNIA
The following medical conditions can limit your sleep. They are chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, overactive thyroid, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In some people mental health problems such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, leg pulling syndrome and anxiety.
In addition, alzheimer’s can cause changes in the brain. It can disrupt or cause changes in sleeping patterns. During menopause hormonal changes can result in night sweats and hot flushes that can interrupt sleep. Some people suffers from fatal familial insomnia. It is a rare genetic disorder that prevent sleep and can be devastating.
MEDICATIONS / DRUGS THAT WORSEN INSOMNIA
Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep. Some of them include: antidepressants and medications for blood pressure and asthma. Several over the counter drugs such as some painkillers, allergy and cold medications. Weight loss products contains some caffeine and other stimulants that disrupt sleep. Check the label of non prescription drugs or the drugs information sheet. This will enable you to know if such medicine can disrupt sleep or cause insomnia.
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FOODS AND DRINKS THAT WORSEN INSOMNIA
(1) TOMATOES: contains tyramine, a kind of amino acid that increases brain activity and delays sleep. Tomatoes soup or tomato sauce can be hard on your digestive system when eating few hours before sleep. This makes tomato one of the foods and drinks that worsen insomnia.
(2) RAW ONIONS: It can cause strong lasting feelings of reflux in people that already have heart burn. This negatively impact on your sleep.
(3) ICE CREAM: It can take your body long time to digest. While your body is digesting ice cream your body find it difficut to relax. In fact sugar will cause your energy to spike, preventing you from falling asleep. Ice cream contain sugar and fat that can disrupt your sleep. Avoid ice cream, cakes, candy bars, et cetra before bedtime.
(4) AGED CHEESE: It contains tyramine that increases the production of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a neuro transmitter released during stressful situations as part of the flight – or – flight response. This can result to increases alertness and reduced sleep quality. It is better you take it in the morning.
(5) CITRUS FRUITS: It very good for health and loaded with vitamin C. It is one of the foods and drinks that worsen insomnia because it may cause acidity and heart burn if not properly digested. This may disrupt your sleep cycle.
(6) ALCOHOL: May help fall asleep but it may prevent deeper stages of sleep. It can cause you to be awake in the middle of the night. In fact, you may even wake up tired the next day. This make it one of the foods and drinks that worsen insomnia.
(7) CAFFEINE: Drinking caffeine in the late afternoon or evening can keep from failing asleep at night. Few hours after you take your last cup of coffee. Half of it caffeine content still remain in your system. Depending on how much you drink and how strong it is. You could find yourself counting sheep when you’d rather be sawing logs. To avoid problems at bedtime, cut your caffeine after lunch time.
(8) SMOKING: Nicotine in tobacco products is a stimulant that can disturb your sleep during the night. Researchers in John Hopkins found that smokers were four times as likely to stay awake, feeling tired in the morning than non smokers.
(9) MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE: Known as MSG can be very stimulating to the brain and can interfere with your sleep.
(10) SUGAR: Another foods and drinks that worsen insomnia is sugar. Sugar contribute to insomnia in the following ways:
- Sugar can make your brain very active. Eating sugar in the late afternoon or evening can make you super hyped up when it is bed time.
- A diet high in sugar is eating mostly in the morning. If not it can cause you to awake in the middle of the night. Frequent consumption of sugar can cause low blood sugar in the middle of the night.
(11) FRIED AND FATTY FOODS: Take long time to digest. They keep your body working rather than relaxing. They cause bloating and indigestion that can make you lose sleep at night.
(12) CHOCOLATE: is loaded with sugar. This can negatively affect how well you sleep. Chocolate contains some caffeine that can stimulate your nervous system and keep you awake for hours. Take chocolate as an energy booster during the day and night before bedtime.
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(13) CELERY, WATERMELON PULP AND CUCUMBER: They are both diuretic (they quickly pushes water through your system). This is another foods and drinks that worsen insomnia. You will be urinating or peeing often and often. This can disrupt your sleep.
(14) CHICKEN: Chicken or any type of protein takes time to digest. It may disrupt your sleep. Chicken contain amino acid called tyrosine that promote brain activity. It is advisable you eat it with complex carbohydrates. This will stabilize your blood sugar levels. It will also prevent you from waking up at the middle of the night. It’s one of the foods and drinks that worsen insomnia.
(15) ENERGY DRINKS: For obvious reasons, you don’t have to take energy drink before bedtime. It will disrupt your sleep due to amount of caffeine found in it. This is another foods and drinks that worsen insomnia.
(16) CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES: Such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli are good for your health. It is advisable to eat cruciferous vegetables earlier in the day. Your body will have enough time to digest it before bedtime. If not, it may disrupt your sleep.
(17) DON’T TAKE FLUIDS BY 8 P.M. : Staying hydrated throughout the day is good for your body. Before bed time stop fluids. To prevent you from urinating or peeing often and often so that your sleep won’t be affected.
(18) KOLA NUT: contain high caffeine content that increases energy and hunger. Caffeine in kola nut have the following effect on the body such as:
- Stimulating your Central nervous system. It make you feel awake and energetic.
- Increase your blood pressure.
Apart from foods and drinks that worsen insomnia, dietary changes and habits are necessary as well.
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DIETARY CHANGES AND HABITS
You don’t have to put up with sleepless nights. The following simple changes in your daily diet and habits can help you. They include:
- Do not go to bed hungry. Have a healthy snacks before bed time, if necessary.
- Do not eat heavy meals 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
- Consume different healthy diet to improve your well being.
- Avoid foods that contains excess salt or sodium.
- Stay active because regular exercise will help you to have a good night sleep. Do not stress yourself to avoid temporary insomnia.
- Avoid simple starch or high glycemic index carbohydrates before bed time. They make blood sugar to drop quickly in the middle of the night. Hence, having negative impact on your sleep.
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FINALLY, insomnia can affect you both mentally and physically. Insomnia is something that we are more at risk in every year that we live. You need to investigate your diet. Therefore, certain foods when eating before bedtime can disrupt your sleep. In addition, nearly everyone has occasional sleepless night. Sleep is vital to your health as well as healthy diet and regular physical activity. Teenagers may experience sleep problem. Teenagers have trouble getting to sleep or resist regular bed time because their internal clocks are more delayed. They want to get to bed later and sleep later in the morning. It very important you know foods and drinks that worsen insomnia.
This article is not meant to be a substitute to where the service of medical professional is urgently needed.