Your diet can keep you awake at night

by Jacki Donaldson (Subscribe to Jacki Donaldson's posts)
Nov 11th 2008 7:30AM

Ah, those sleepless nights. Horrible, aren't they? If you're at your wits end, there may be an easy fix right in your fingertips. That fix? None other than the food you put in your mouth.

Think about what you ate the night before your bout with insomnia, says RealAge. Because your meals and snacks may be the very things stealing your slumber. What follows are some items you might want to avoid pre-bedtime.

Spicy foods: Garlic, chilies, cayenne, and other intense spices can cause heartburn or indigestion.
A big dinner: A busy digestive system takes hours to settle down. When you really need to sleep, make lunch your largest meal, and try a light 500-calorie dinner early in the evening.
Raucous veggies: Avoid gassy foods, like beans, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts in the middle of the day.
Speed eating: Eat slowly to avoid swallowing air, a common cause of midnight tummy trouble.
Nightcaps: You might think alcohol makes you drowsy but really, it disturbs sleep and leads to awakenings and restlessness.
Coffee after breakfast: Caffeine can linger in your body for as long as 12 hours. So you might want to avoid it for at least 12 hours before turning in for the night.
Natural sleep - what works and what doesn't(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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anne winters 11-11-2008 @ 12:00PM

Crave for caffeine may be sign of sleeping problems. I read at http://www.projectweightloss.com/index.php why people may get the good results from good night`s sleep. Almost twelve million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and are not even aware of their problems.