This is part 2 of our previous post, Best and Worst Drinks for Sleep. While the current post will tell you about the 3 worst drinks that should be avoided before bed, the previous article discussed 7 awesome drinks you can have before going to bed.
Drinks to Avoid Before Bed-Time
While the majority of the population will find the drinks below to be interfering with their sleep, these drinks may have no effect on the sleeping patterns of certain individuals. This is just like some people don’t get jet lagged, while some people get hit with jet lag like a wall.
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Soda
If you consume soda right before bed-time, you will experience heartburn and acid reflux from the bottom of your stomach just like bubbles in the soda that pop from the bottom. You’ll be awake the entire night, or at least throughout the first few hours of sleep, because of this unsettling feeling. Also, soda has high levels of sugar and caffeine, both of which impair sleep and cause other health issues. Additionally, consuming sugar before night raises your chance of developing caries since a decreased saliva flow results in persistently low plaque pH levels and dental cavities, both of which can call for the help of dentists Herndon or wherever you reside. A substantial correlation between having caries and consuming free sugars an hour before night supports this (Levine et al., 2007). Hence, say NO to sweets and bubbles at night as a result.
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Caffeinated drinks
Caffeine is a type of stimulant that makes you alert and awakens your senses. It increases your blood sugar level while also boosting your mental performance and respiratory rates. Caffeine is present in coffee and in small amounts in tea as well. Coffee can keep you wide awake for 4-6 hours so consider not to consume it during dinner for better sleep quality. It can also lead to Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in some people. Restless Legs Syndrome is a neurological defect in which you constantly feel an urge to move your legs and never put them to rest. Caffeine acts as an aggravator in RLS leading to an uneasy pulling and throbbing feeling in your leg and you want to keep moving them. Of course, you cannot sleep with moving legs, right?
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Alcohol
I could hear some of you say, ‘Hey, alcohol gives me a high and helps me sleep faster’. Yes, alcohol does help you relax and go to sleep quickly but it disrupts your sleep in the second half of the night. As soon as the alcohol is digested by the body, approximately 4-5 hours, you find yourself awake like an owl and extremely frustrated if you can’t go back to sleep. Resultant tossing and turning will leave you drowsy and restless the next morning. Some people are also known to snore after alcohol consumption at night.
Go ahead, give one of these a shot or attempt one each night to see which is best for your taste buds and sleep hormones.