Little "sins" take their toll on good sleep

A hearty dinner with a large, juicy steak, a few glasses of wine to go with it, and perhaps a small espresso to round out the festive meal: Are you dreaming about this now too? And at a late hour? If so, leave it in your dreams, because heavy eating prior to going to bed can have a negative effect on your recuperative sleep.

Particularly people who frequently have problems going to sleep, or sleeping through the night, should not additionally stress their body with fatty food or excessive alcohol before going to bed.

Eating
Large, heavy, meals do not promote good, recuperative sleep. The higher the fat content of the food, the longer it stays in the stomach. Instead light meals, such as rice, white bread, or boiled fish are recommended. Fatty meat on the other hand should be banned from the table, as it can take 8 hours and more to digest. Also sardines or mushrooms, chips or chocolate, are less suitable at night. If a person regularly suffers from sleeplessness, then he is counseled not to eat anything at all two to four hours before retiring.

Drinking
The fact that drinks containing caffeine, like coffee or black tea, do not promote sleep is sufficiently well-known these days. However, many people are of the opinion that alcohol is not harmful. This is incorrect, particularly when large quantities are involved. Even if you can fall sleep easier, generally you will also wake more quickly, and then it is very difficult to fall back asleep. It’s better to go for a glass of warm milk, or try a relaxing herbal tea – your recuperative sleep will be your body’s way of thanking you for it.

It’s better that a dream of steak, wine, and espresso remain a daydream, then it is not bad at all if you make this dream come true.