Here's a tip that will help: don't eat chocolate at least three hours before bedtime. This will ensure that there's enough time to digest your food before you sleep. We already know eating a large meal before bedtime can heavily impact your sleep.
You should try to not eat any chocolate after around 4 or 5 pm to give your body time to metabolize its caffeine. Generally, it's also a good idea to stop eating at least 2 hours before turning in for the night to give your food time to digest.
Don't Eat: Chocolate
Even though chocolate doesn't contain much of the stuff, even a little caffeine can disturb or halt the sleep-inducing chemical processes going on in your brain and body before bedtime, he says.
1. Chocolate. High levels of caffeine in chocolate make it a poor choice for late-night snacking. During the latter stages of sleep, caffeine consumption can cause rapid eye movement (REM) to occur more frequently, which is why you're more likely to feel groggy the morning after the night before.
I asked two experts to name the foods to avoid eating late at night, and both agreed that chocolate before bed is a no good, very bad idea. "As much as I savor a piece of dark chocolate, I've learned the hard way not to eat chocolate after 5 p.m.," says naturopathic doctor Erin Stokes, ND and MegaFood medical director.
Are There Side Effects To Eating Chocolate Before You Go To Bed? While it is a great idea to get into the habit of consuming chocolate to tap into its benefits, eating dark chocolate before bed should be a no-no (1).
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends not giving chocolate to children under the age of 2 years. The reason for this is due to its caffeine, theobromine and sugar content.
Theobromine, which increases heart rate and causes sleeplessness, is found in small amounts in chocolate, especially dark. The National Sleep Foundation recommends avoiding chocolate — as well as coffee, tea and soft drinks — before bedtime.
Imbalanced hormones and unstable blood sugar are often the lead cause of late night cravings. While you may be able to avoid late-night snacking a majority of the time with sheer will-power, the reality is, late-night cravings are uncomfortable and usually indicate something isn't quite right.
Summary: The circadian system increases hunger and cravings for sweet, starchy and salty foods in the evenings, according to new research. Eating higher-calorie foods in the evening can be counterproductive if weight loss is a goal since the human body handles nutrients differently depending on the time of day.
Also, chocolate is high in sugar and saturated fat. It is a high-energy (high calorie) food, and too much can result in excess weight, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Healthier sources of polyphenols include beans, pulses, fruit and vegetables.
The bad news
Chocolate contains caffeine, the enemy of a good night's rest. In fact, the more cacao there is in a bar of chocolate, the more caffeine it contains, which is a chemical responsible for making us feel alert and disrupting our sleep.
It turns out that eating chocolate first thing in the morning has some impressive health benefits. A recent randomized controlled trial showed that eating a large amount of milk chocolate (100 grams) within 1 hour of waking up in the morning actually helps to burn body fat and lower blood sugar levels.
What happens if you eat chocolate every day? Chocolate receives a lot of bad press because of its high fat and sugar content. Its consumption could be associated with acne, obesity, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.
Chocolate also contains tryptophan, which stimulates serotonin and melatonin. And serotonin and melatonin are believed to help sleep.
The time it takes for your body to digest chocolate can vary depending on several factors such as the type of chocolate, your metabolism, and other individual factors. Generally, it takes about 2-4 hours for your body to digest chocolate fully.
“Sugary foods are likely to disrupt your sleep. The rule of thumb is that you shouldn't eat in the two hours before you go to sleep.” He recommends avoiding caffeine and switching off the TV an hour before bed. “There's a real biochemical drive to eat more sugar,” says Watts.
A diet high in refined carbohydrates may raise the likelihood of developing insomnia, according to a 2019 study. Often referred to as “empty” calories, refined carbs include sugars and processed grains that are stripped of nutrients. Examples of refined carbs include white bread, cookies, cakes, sodas, and more.
Tryptophan helps improve sleep by helping make melatonin and serotonin. Pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds also contain tryptophan. Sprinkling pumpkin seeds on your oats or yogurt give an added crunchy texture. Cashews and walnuts are also considered good nut options for sleep.
Here's a tip that will help: don't eat chocolate at least three hours before bedtime. This will ensure that there's enough time to digest your food before you sleep. We already know eating a large meal before bedtime can heavily impact your sleep.
Chocolate For A Better Sleep
Consume chocolate at least two hours before bedtime to allow your body to digest caffeine, and do not eat chocolate after 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. to allow your body to digest caffeine.
Chocolate is a healthy-heart choice if taken in moderation. Chocolate is good for the heart as new research show that consuming chocolate at least once a week is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease.