Avoid these to sleep well

Alphonse Reddy lists out six foods that make it hard for you to get a good night's sleep

A good night’s sleep seems like a luxury for most of us. Sleeping without any disruption is a privilege, especially after a long, and busy schedule at work. After a long day looking after one’s family, children and socialising, our body and mind get exhausted. A good night’s sleep is essential to regain stamina and to get going.

Here are six foods to stay away from for a good night’s sleep:

Coffee: Even our standard cup of afternoon coffee can have an impact on our sleeping pattern. This is because the stimulants in caffeine remain in the system for hours. So, try limiting your coffee intake to before noon, several hours before going to bed.

Broccoli/cauliflower: Certain vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are better avoided before bedtime. These veggies are high in insoluble fibre, which moves slowly in the digestive system.

Dark chocolates: Normal chocolate contains caffeine, and dark chocolate contains large amounts of caffeine.

Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce is another veggie-based food to avoid in the list. This is because of its high acidity, which often leads to indigestion.

Orange juice: Orange is extremely acidic, which is definitely not a good idea before bed, regardless of if you suffer from reflux or not.

Chicken: While sleeping, our digestive system slows down by 50%, so eating protein takes a longer time to digest. The body ends up focusing on digestion and not sleep.

(The author is founder, Sunday Mattresses)