5 Healthy Foods That May Be Keeping You Awake At Night

If you find yourself sitting up at night wondering how the cup of coffee you had at 7 a.m. could possibly keeping you awake, you might want to take a closer look at what you had for dinner.

While it’s unlikely that caffeine will still be in your system 15 hours later, the macaroni and cheese you ate just three hours ago might!

It’s hard to believe, but sugar and caffeine aren’t the only culprits behind your terrible sleep last night. In fact, your insomnia may be stemming from something you always thought was healthy.

So, without further ado, here are 5 surprising foods to avoid eating before bed if you want to get a good night’s sleep tonight:

1. Celery: Foods with a high water content, like celery and cucumbers, can keep you running to the bathroom all night. If you’re generally a light sleeper, nothing will disrupt your slumber quite like constant trips to the bathroom. Do yourself a favor and avoid eating water-packed foods before bed.
2. Cheese: High-fat foods, like cheese, take longer to digest, and going to bed with a bloated, upset stomach will make it extra hard to fall asleep. With all this food still sitting in your gut, any sleep medications you take at night might not work as effectively either.
3. Tomatoes: Foods that are rich in the amino acid tyramine, like tomatoes, soy sauce, and eggplant, can trigger the release of norepinephrine, a stimulant that increases brain activity—pretty much the last thing you need right before bed.
4. Hot Sauce: Just about any spicy food can give you an upset stomach and heartburn. Even sprinkling a few drops of hot sauce on your taco meat makes the perfect recipe for a restless night.
5. Broccoli: Although this cruciferous veggie is packed with healthy nutrients, it has too much fiber for your body to properly digest before bed if you eat it for dinner. With your body working extra hard to digest it, broccoli can keep you tossing and turning all night!

Which of these foods are you most surprised to see on the list? Tell us in the comments!

Photo Copyright © 2013 rpavich/Flickr