You might have heard about foods like milk and chamomile tea that can help you fall asleep. But did you know there are tasty morsels that can hinder your beauty sleep, too? These sleep-stealers are sneakier than you think. We’ll share with you five types of foods to watch out for, and what to do about them.

1. Spicy Foods

From Sriracha burgers to pad thai to a hot bowl of chili, we love digging into delicious spicy food. It’s best to save these eats for the daytime, though. Nightly consumption could lead to uncomfortable heartburn when you lie down at bedtime.

2. Dark Chocolate

That midnight snack of chocolate you sneak into your bedroom could be interfering with your sleep! Believe it or not, chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine that will definitely interrupt a good night’s sleep. Instead, save dark chocolate for the daytime to take advantage of its antioxidant properties. Your body will thank you.

3. Fried Foods

The high-fat content in fried food is tougher for your body to digest, and that alone can make it harder to fall asleep. Keep your system calm by eating foods that make it easier to break down later at night, such as applesauce, bananas, and rice. Better yet, try to limit fried food altogether for special occasions.

4. Red Meat

Red meat is delicious and full of B vitamins and iron, but it’s also one of the most difficult foods to digest because it is high in fat and protein. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try to cut red meat out of dinnertime and serve dishes with leaner meats like chicken or fish instead. Turkey is a good choice for its tryptophan content.

5. Alcohol

Winding down with a glass of wine at the end of a tough day is a popular pastime, but the sedative properties of alcohol are deceptive. They can actually interrupt your natural sleep cycle and cause you to wake up later at night. Too much alcohol is bad for your body altogether. Who wants to wake up with a hangover, anyway?

More Ways to Help You Sleep

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