According to the NHS, around one in three of us will experience sleeping difficulties at some point in our lives. Adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night and without it we can be left tired, irritable and unable to concentrate.
In extreme cases it can start to impact our health, with studies showing chronic insomnia has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack and stroke.
There are a number of factors that can contribute to sleeping problems. Anxiety and stress are known to keep people awake at night while certain illnesses as well as pain could be making it worse.
However, your diet can also have an impact on your sleeping habits. One expert warned that you should avoid specific foods and drinks for this reason.
Speaking on social media platform TikTok, Doctor Kunal Sood, revealed five foods and drinks you must never eat at night. He said: “Avoid these foods and drinks before bed.”
These foods and drinks are:
- Alcohol
- Spicy food
- Coffee
- Fried food
- Chocolate.
Alcohol
While alcohol might make you fall asleep more quickly the actual quality of the sleep will be reduced. Dr Sood said: “Alcohol will help you sleep faster however you do not get the same quality of sleep.”
Spicy food
Many of us may enjoy a delicious curry in the evening but eating it too late at night could impact your sleep. “Spicy food can make symptoms of heartburn worse, and some spicy food has capsaicin which can disrupt body’s thermoregulation,” Dr Sood warned.
Fried food
He advised that fried food can potentially cause indigestion, keeping you up at night. This was backed by experts at Sleep Health Solutions, which said: “Fatty, cheesy and fried foods can lead to indigestion and keep you up at night.”
Coffee and chocolate
Dr Sood added: “Coffee and chocolate have caffeine.” Caffeine is a drug that stimulates (increases the activity of) your brain and nervous system, thus keeping you awake at night.
The NHS says you should see your GP if:
- Changing your sleeping habits has not helped your insomnia
- You’ve had trouble sleeping for months
- Your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope.