We all know how important it is to start your day well. A healthy morning ritual, with good food and exercise, helps you stay healthy and happy as well. It refuels you with energy and helps kick-start metabolism and other functioning in the body. But have you ever thought of having a healthy night ritual? What we fail to realise is the fact that people can enjoy a healthy day only if they get a good night's sleep. And to do that, one needs to keep up a healthy routine at night too. And unconsciously we all make some mistakes that disrupt our sleep at night, further failing to recharge the body.
In this article, we will take you through some of the common diet mistakes we do at night that lead to interrupted sleep and insomnia at times. Read on.
Also Read: No More Sleepless Nights! 5 Desi Drinks To Induce Good Night's Sleep
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Here're 5 Mistakes We Do With Night Rituals:
1. Not leaving enough time between having dinner and sleeping:
You all have surely grown up hearing, have your dinner early. Do you know why? Eating before bed can trigger night-time heartburn, making it hard to fall asleep. Our metabolism stops working at night, hence one must keep enough time between eating dinner and hitting the bed to allow digestion.
2. Eating heavy dinner:
It is rightly said, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper". Having a dinner loaded with carbs and starch makes it hard to digest, leaving you bloated. It also leads to disrupted gut health and problems like indigestion, constipation, bowel problem et al.
3. Not having enough nutrients:
People often get confused with the definition of light meals; it doesn't mean not loading up on nutrients. Eating enough nutrients including fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals etc help you stay full for long, preventing midnight hunger that can lead to disrupted sleep.
Also Read: Not Sleeping Well? 5 Foods You Must Avoid Before Bedtime
It's important to load up on nutrients throughout the day
4. Consuming caffeine:
You don't necessarily need to have coffee and tea to load up on caffeine. Many of us have the tendency of eating chocolate or drinking soft drinks after our meals. You need to realise that a shot of caffeine leads to an instant adrenaline rush and excites your nerves. This may directly affect your sleep.
5. Consuming alcohol:
It is popularly said, drinking alcohol helps you sleep better. The truth is, it actually doesn't! You may end up waking later at night as it disrupts the REM cycle of sleep, responsible for restoring brain function and memory consolidation.
Considering the above factors, attempt to eat light, on time and have a healthy lifestyle to enjoy a sound sleep at night. Meanwhile, here are a few food options that you can consider having for a wholesome dinner.