What to eat before bed so as not to harm the stomach and fall asleep without problems

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Of course, in this article we will not be looking for facts to refute the well-known simple truth: eating at night is not very useful. Nevertheless, sometimes we simply do not have enough time to create the proper environment for healthy and timely food intake. If you are the type of person who stays late at night at work, and a solid breakfast is not on the list of your daily rituals, then the following material is for you.

I have asked people more than once: "Which of the habits will be the most difficult for you to part with?" There were a lot of different answers, but the habit of gutting the refrigerator under cover of darkness took the top of the charts.

Why you shouldn't go to bed hungry

The temptation to go to bed quickly, thereby bringing the cherished hour of breakfast closer, is familiar, probably, to almost everyone who once experienced the pleasure of a night meal. However, the fact remains that by curbing the urge to satisfy hunger, you will sleep better.

Specialists (UPMC) explain:

Snacking before bed can help stabilize your blood sugar, especially if you dine early and have been active enough throughout the day. This is important because low blood sugar can cause you to wake up unexpectedly in the middle of the night. It also increases the risk that you will not feel cheerful enough when you wake up in the morning. The human body needs energy, which he spends, including on sleep.

If, in fear of earning indigestion, you refuse to eat before bedtime, then you risk not getting enough sleep. For this reason, we recommend that you by all means starve the worm, but do it according to science, choosing the right dishes for a late meal.

Foods Ideal for a Nightgown Dinner

The whole trick of a competent snack before bed is to find the right food, as well as deliberately limit the amount of portion consumed. Specialists of the same Center of Medicine (UPMC) claim that following certain rules of this "fight club", you can choose the perfect night menu.

So, in more detail about these very rules:

• give preference to foods that are low in protein and also contain.
• Try to eat small portions, aiming to consume less than 200 calories at a time.

Eating heavier food can be regarded by the digestive system as a reason to work hard, and right at the time when you are trying to sleep. Therefore, our task is to make this process as easy as possible, and the feeling of hunger surrendered at the mercy of the winner. So what to eat at night? Here are a few options beyond any competition:

• Low fat yogurt … Nutritionist Eirin Coleman () recommends exactly as it contains dietary protein, probiotics and other beneficial nutrients. Thanks to protein, satiety is felt for a long time, and this is exactly what we need: the feeling of hunger will wake up only in the morning, with you. One thing to remember here is that yogurt should be as sweet as possible.
• White meat … Sports nutritionist Joel Marion advises satisfying your hunger with a piece of chicken or turkey, as it will take a long time to digest. White meat contains glucagon, a peptide hormone that increases blood sugar. It helps the body delay the process of converting the fats and carbohydrates that have entered it into energy. Eating red meat at night is not recommended.
• Cottage cheese … This wonderful and well-known product is another tip on healthy eating from Marion. Curd is digested very slowly, for almost an eternity, and is made up of protein. As with low-fat yogurt, it shouldn't be sweet, but adding some berries to it won't interfere with your sleep.
• Whole Grain Crackers … According to research conducted by specialists from Harvard Medical School, a few small cookies made from one-time flour will be enough to make you last until breakfast and lay down without remorse and feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
• Vegetables … Author Karen Borsari believes that vegetables such as cucumber, carrots and broccoli are very nutritious and, most importantly, low in calories. Moreover, they contain complex carbohydrates, thanks to which the feeling of fullness will stay with you for a long time and you will calmly fall asleep. If the flavor of the vegetables themselves is not enough for you, season them with mild hummus. It is rich in vitamin B6, a component essential for the production of melatonin.
• Products included in the BRYAT diet … BRYAT is an abbreviation that stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, toast. As you may have guessed, all of these components are universally considered safe, even for people with acute disorders of the digestive system due to their easy digestibility. The same properties of this group of products make them indispensable for a midnight feast. By the way: the potassium and magnesium contained in them contribute to muscle relaxation. They also stimulate the production of melatonin and serotonin - substances that are involved in many of the most important processes in the human body.

All of the above foods are very healthy on their own, so if you like healthy food, you won't have to change your taste habits. Store them in case of an unforeseen raid on the refrigerator and, as they say, you can sleep peacefully.

What you should definitely not eat before bed

Be aware that some foods that enter the stomach shortly before sleep can raise a real rebellion in it. Indigestion, heartburn, belching - you must agree, an unjustifiably high price that you risk paying, inadvertently feasting on the coming sleep. Here is a list of these foods that are dangerous for us, night gourmets:

• Foods high in carbohydrates and sugar, such as biscuits and ice cream.
• Oily, fatty and heavy foods.
• Plentiful food, which takes time and effort to digest.

Let's not beat around the bush: none of these three points should get into your mouth before going to bed. Avoid spicy foods: they stimulate the production of gastric juice, which can make you feel uncomfortable. Finally, avoiding alcohol and caffeine is highly recommended.

If you want to have a late snack, then it shouldn't be chocolate and wine. Chocolate contains caffeine, which is a powerful stimulant. You'd be surprised, but alcohol has a similar effect.

People think that a small amount of wine can help relax, but it is not: alcohol is an aphrodisiac, which can lead to sleep disturbance.

Karen Carlson

By following these simple rules, you will not only preserve your health, but you will also be able to afford the luxury of a night meal without any consequences.