Sugar and Sleep

One of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle is a good night of sleep. But a good night’s sleep isn’t always easy to come by. While many people just disregard their tiredness the next day, the fact is they may be partaking in some bad habits that affect their sleep.

For the average adult, a healthy amount of sleep is considered to be seven to eight hours a night. But many people cite having too much energy at night to settle down and fall asleep. One of the main culprits may be having too much sugar too close to bed. Having a lot of sugar before bed can cause blood sugar to climb and then fall quickly as the body brings it under control with hormones. The swing in hormones and blood sugar levels may impair sleep.  For people with diabetes, high blood sugar is often a warning sign for sleep issues. When people are tired during the day, they are inclined to eat more to give themselves a boost of energy. This tends to boost blood sugar. But eating right throughout the day actually has a better effect on tiredness, as proper blood sugar levels will aid people in getting a good night’s sleep and then waking up with enough energy to last the day.Some studies even show that eating high-sugar foods before bed causes nightmares.

Here are some foods to avoid before bed if you want to get a restful night of sleep.

Candy: Too much sugar will give people energy and they will not be able to settle down and get to sleep. Give yourself a couple of hours before bed without any sugary candy to help aid in getting to sleep.

Soda: Soda has little nutritional value to begin with, and since it is high in sugar and caffeine it will probably keep you awake longer than you want. Try and avoid soda in the hours leading up to bed.

Coffee: This one should be obvious, as coffee is loaded with caffeine and is meant to give you energy. But even with a decaf coffee, you could be kept awake, especially if you add sugar to sweeten the drink. Don’t drink coffee past mid-afternoon if possible if you don’t want it to hinder your sleep.

Ice Cream: While it is often tough to resist a nice bowl of ice cream before bed, all of the sugar is going to give you too much energy to get to sleep. Additionally, ice cream is packed with fat and your body won’t have a chance to burn any of it before lying in bed for the night.

If you are looking for a restful night of sleep, avoiding sugar should be your top priority. 

You’ll be happy you did when you wake up refreshed the next morning.