Carbohydrate-rich foods like toast trigger insulin production. This induces sleep by speeding up the release of tryptophan, a chemical that helps to relax the body and send it off to sleep. Like toast, milk releases serotonin, another great body relaxer.
Wheat bread offers fiber and more complex carbohydrates than white bread, keeping your blood-sugar levels stable while you sleep.
Sugar and refined carbohydrates: Sugary snacks and refined carbs such as white bread and pasta will cause your blood sugar to spike. This can give you a rush of energy, which is bad when you're trying to fall to sleep.
One of the main reasons you are likely to feel tired after eating white bread is the quick release of insulin triggered by refined grains. This prompts amino acids such as tryptophan to stay in your blood and enter your brain. As a result, more serotonin is produced, and you feel sleepy.
When you want something to fill you up, half a sandwich on whole wheat bread is a good pick. Your body digests whole grains more slowly so you'll feel satisfied longer. And turkey has tryptophan, an amino acid that helps to make you sleepy. If you're not into turkey, try peanut or almond butter on whole wheat toast.
Going to bed hungry may be OK if you're meeting nutrition requirements on a daily basis or following a healthy weight loss plan. In many cases, a healthy eating schedule may result in you feeling hungry before bedtime.
“If you are hungry, you should eat something, regardless of the time of day,” says Aimee Takamura, registered dietitian and director of wellness and sustainability at Restaurant Associates. “The act of eating late at night does not affect metabolism or lead to many of the adverse effects you may have heard of.
Soup is a light and healthy option for a bedtime snack. Choose a variety that is low in sodium and contains vegetables and lean protein. Make sure to avoid cream-based soups, as they can be high in fat and calories.
Most bread takes between two and four hours to digest (note: this is not the complete process that leads to stool, which can take up to 60 hours). It depends on the type of bread you're consuming. Bread that is more nutrient-dense and fiber-packed, such as whole wheat bread, will be easier for your stomach to digest.
Turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, so it is famously blamed for sleepiness after Thanksgiving dinner. Other foods with tryptophan include milk, bananas, oats, and chocolate. While tryptophan alone may not always cause sleepiness, its effects are enhanced when eaten with carbohydrates.
Nope, you should allow more time. Experts recommend waiting at least three hours after you've eaten to go to bed. This allows your body time to digest your food so you're not up at night with an upset stomach, indigestion, or acid reflux.
1. Bread doesn't have a posted expiration date, just a best by date. This means you can continue eating it until mold, sourness or staleness occurs.
Studies tend to show that when food is consumed late at night — anywhere from after dinner to outside a person's typical sleep/wake cycle — the body is more likely to store those calories as fat and gain weight rather than burn it as energy, says Kelly Allison of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's ...
There's no such thing as a set time you should eat dinner.
Someone who wakes up at 5am could be having dinner at 5pm, while someone who goes to sleep at 1am could be having dinner at 10pm–none of it is inherently wrong or unhealthy, according to Farah Fahad, registered dietitian and founder of The Farah Effect.
How Late Is Too Late to Eat? There's no be-all and end-all on what time you should close the kitchen. Some researchers define "eating late" as eating your last meal less than two hours before bedtime, while other research suggests cutting yourself off by 6 p.m. delivers the greatest health benefits.
“Those who get hungry before bed can try eating low-caloric snacks which may help with hunger, but decrease the possible adverse effects of eating so late,” McHill says. If you're needing a bigger meal later in the evening, make sure the foods aren't keeping you up with bloating, heartburn, or acid reflux.
Weight gain
Your body gains weight when you take in more calories than you burn off. This is the case no matter when you eat. Going to sleep directly after you eat means your body doesn't get a chance to burn off those calories. In fact, eating a big meal and then hitting the couch can be just as harmful.
A brain dump is essentially just as it sounds—dump all the things still lingering in your mind onto a piece of paper and let it go. At least for the night, that is. Nothing fancy required for this one—simply grab a pen and a piece of paper and scribble down everything that has the potential to keep you up at night.