MDLinxThese Foods Sabotage Sleep

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Recent research highlights the significant impact of pre-bedtime food choices on sleep quality. Certain foods and beverages consumed in the hours leading up to sleep can disrupt rest patterns, affecting overall health and well-being. Understanding these dietary influences can help healthcare professionals guide patients towards better sleep hygiene practices.

Key Points:

• Chocolate, especially dark varieties, contains caffeine that may interfere with sleep onset and depth, particularly in slow caffeine metabolizers.
• Greasy, high-fat foods can delay gastric emptying for up to 6 hours, potentially causing sleep disruption and exacerbating reflux symptoms, especially in GERD patients.
• Cruciferous vegetables, rich in fiber, may cause gas and discomfort that hinder sleep quality.
• Spicy foods containing capsaicin can elevate body temperature and trigger heartburn, affecting sleep.
• Citrus fruits’ acidity may provoke acid reflux and throat irritation, making sleep uncomfortable.
• Alcohol consumption close to bedtime can impair REM sleep, while caffeine intake within 6 hours of sleep can disrupt sleep patterns.

“It probably seems like a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe the number of people who tell me they drink coffee before bed and [say] it ‘has no effect on them,’ and then they’re exhausted the whole next day.”
– Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, Senior Clinical Dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and Assistant Professor at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health

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