Whether you or someone you love works a second job, late night shift or is just a before-bed binger, you should be aware of certain foods that should be avoided before going to sleep.

Fatty Foods:
Your tummy will switch into high gear to process fats, even good fats, like nuts. Your stomach will give your brain the signal to gear up after eating fatty foods like French fries, ice cream or a hamburger.

Sweets:
Refined, raw, artificial or even ‘close to nature’ sugars give your body the signal to burn it off as quickly as possible causing wakefulness.

Simple Carbs:
Carbs such as pasta, bread and potatoes are processed in your body like sugar. Eating them before bed will cause spikes in blood sugar causing your brain to spin and your heart to pound.

Meats:
Maybe you are dieting or haven’t had the time to eat all day and finally have the time to sit down for some red or fatty meat, be aware that these choices take a lot of work to digest. It sends your blood pumping and signals to the brain to keep working. If your brain can’t shut down for the night, you won’t sleep.

Spices:
It makes sense to avoid spices that give you energy or speed up your metabolism. The trick is to be aware of those ingredients in your snacks before bed, which are stimulants like cinnamon and hot or peppery spices.

Entire Midnight Meal:
Again, if you have not taken the time to eat all day and are starving, you may be tempted to eat an entire meal before retiring to bed. Even if it is healthy and not from the categories listed above, a full stomach will send the signal to the brain that it needs to get the blood pumping faster into the stomach to digest that meal.

If your tummy is growling and you can’t resist some food, please remember these tips and keep it at a small snack-size portion and keep it healthy for a good night’s sleep.

Adapted from momseveryday.com