Eating Sweets Before Bed Impacts Sleep

After a sugar loaded holiday season, you are probably thinking it is time to cut back on the sweets and get back into your regular routine. But quitting sugar can be tough. Our bodies slowly start to crave that sugar high. Not only does sugar affect your every day health, but dipping into the sweets at night can impact your quality of sleep.

Who doesn’t love a delicious after-dinner dessert? But digging into those cookies or that bowl of ice cream means that you’re pumping lots of added sugar into your body—something that can negatively impact the quality of your sleep.

In fact, the more sugar that you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night. Even if you don’t fully wake up, the sugar in your system can pull you out of a deep sleep, making you feel exhausted the next day.

On top of that, consuming too much sugar during the day can lead to an energy crash. Eating lots of sugar reduces the activity of what are called orexin cells. As a result, you’re going to feel pretty sleepy. Ever wonder why you want to take an afternoon nap after chowing down on something indulgent? That’s why.

To avoid those nap-inducing energy dips, you want to do everything that you can to keep your blood sugar level steady. Do that and you’ll keep your energy level even throughout the day, helping you stick to a normal sleep schedule.

One of the biggest ingredients that can knock your blood sugar levels off balance is refined sugar. Obviously it’s in sodas and desserts, but it’s also in many juices, breakfast cereals, canned fruits, and even spaghetti sauce and barbecue sauce. You’ll also find refined sugar in simple carbs (think: white bread, white rice, and regular pasta). Cut back on those foods (and replace them with complex carbs, like whole grains) and you won’t just improve the nutritional value of your food, but also how well you sleep at night.

source: Sleep.Org

This blog does not provide medical advice. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on Mattressdepotusa.com. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

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