Eating before bed is rarely a good idea, but if you must, here are a few tips to keep those late-night excursions from disrupting your sleep too much.

To start with, the biggest things to avoid are big meals, caffeine (at least 6 hours before bed), alcohol (at least 6 hours before bed), and sugary beverages and here is why. Aside from drinks, a big meal will also disrupt sleep as the body will increase its activity to digest the food. A small snack under 500 calories shouldn’t cause as much of a disruption (Sanders). (For more on the type of snacks to avoid, check out our blog on Food Induced Nightmares.)

The best thing to drink is water. Not only can water help fill you up and keep you from feeling hungry, but it lacks the negative effects of other drinks. As for a good snack, fruit, toast, jam, and crackers make for a great snack (Sanders).

We hope these tips help you to have a better night’s sleep, keep the nightmares away, and make for a more rest filled day tomorrow! As always, Quit Counting Sheep…Sleep with a Wolf!

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Sources:

Sanders, Helen, “Eat to Sleep – Foods that Can Make You Sleep Like a Baby.” Health Ambition, https://www.healthambition.com/eat-to-sleep-foods-that-can-make-you-sleep-like-a-baby/. Accessed 7 August 2018.