6 Foods That Cause Insomnia


If you're having trouble sleeping, you're not alone. A survey found that 37 percent of Americans had difficulties sleeping during the previous 12 months. Although there are many causes of insomnia, including stress, depression, and medications, some foods prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. Some of those foods may surprise you — you're probably aware if coffee keeps you awake, but did you know that a ham sandwich could also keep you sleepless? Below is a list of six foods that sabotage sleep.
• Deli meats. If a ham sandwich seems like a good bedtime snack, think again. Smoked and preserved meats contain high amounts of an amino acid called tyramine. Tyramine stimulates the brain to release norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter released by the adrenal gland that is a part of the body's "flight-or-fight" response and increases heart rate and blood pressure, making you feel more agitated and restless.
• Spicy foods. A leftover piece of pizza may be a poor choice for a bedtime snack. A study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology found that healthy men who ate spicy foods some evenings slept less and had poorer quality of sleep than on evenings when they ate non-spicy foods. Researchers speculate that spicy foods interrupt sleep by raising body temperatures. Spicy foods could also cause heartburn, which would also interfere with a good night's sleep.


• Fatty diet. Some studies have found that high-fat meals during the day interfere with the quality of sleep. A study published in Psychological Reports found that those who ate diets high in organic foods slept better than those who ate junk food. Other studies have found that high-fat diets can disrupt the internal body clock, affecting sleep patterns.
• Chocolate. That cup of hot cocoa may not be sleep-inducing. Even the small amount of caffeine in chocolate can be enough to interfere with sleep in some sensitive people. In addition, the tyrosine in chocolate is a stimulant.
• Energy drinks. If you have difficulty sleeping, you might want to skip energy drinks — at any time of day. In addition to being high in caffeine, many energy drinks contain taurine, a stimulating amino acid that studies have found can make it hard to sleep even if you drank an energy drink early in the day.
• Alcohol. A nightcap may help you drift off to sleep, but chances are it'll prevent you from easing into a deep sleep and will cause you to wake up during the night. In addition, alcohol is dehydrating and will cause you to make more nighttime treks to the bathroom. If wine is your choice, it's also high in tyrosine. Try a relaxing, sleep-inducing tea, such as chamomile, instead