Don’t you just hate when the late-night munchies strike? When you can’t sleep and you have the urge to call a pizza delivery service for the cheesy pepperoni special? Hold up — those late night snacks will cause chaos in your gut and cause you to be even more restless and toss and turn all night, according to MSN.
![sleep]()
In fact, the report noted that pizza — specifically pepperoni — is one of the very worst bedtime snacks. And, if you like to add peppers or crushed red pepper flakes on your pie, it's even worse. The fat in the cheese, the spiciness of the pepperoni and the acid in the tomato sauce all join forces to give you a massive case of indigestion.
Ideally, you should avoid eating any food three hours before bed. Doing so will optimize your blood sugar, insulin and leptin levels and contribute to overall good health and restful sleep.
Poor sleep can cause many chronic health problems, from obesity and diabetes to immune problems and an increased risk for cancer. It also raises your risk of accidents and occupational errors.
Two of the largest contributors to poor sleeping habits are the use of artificial lighting and electronics at night, and insufficient light exposure during the day.
To optimize sleep, get sun exposure first thing in the morning, and/or again around noontime. In the evening, avoid blue light. Blue-blocking glasses are a simple remedy.
There are many ways to ensure a good night’s sleep, including taking a walk, cutting out caffeine, finding napping, exercising in the evening, not eating three hours before you go to bed, sleeping in total darkness and turning off all electronics and cellphones in the bedroom.
In addition to pepperoni pizza, here are five of the worst foods for sleep.
Alcohol — You may think a drink or two before bed makes you drowsy, but that’s not the case. You may nod off quicker, but you’re more likely to wake throughout the night. It also increases your risk of snoring.
Coffee — One of the most common sources of caffeine, this stimulant has a half-life of five hours, which means 25% of it will still be in your system even 10 hours later, and for some, even 20 hours later (see the problem?). Some medications also contain caffeine.
Dark Chocolate — Although it’s the healthiest form of chocolate from an antioxidant perspective, it also has relatively high levels of caffeine that can keep you up at night if you're sensitive.
Spicy Foods — Spicy foods before bedtime can give you indigestion that makes it nearly impossible to get a good night's sleep. But even if you think spicy foods don’t bother you, they are still linked with more time spent awake during the night and taking longer to fall asleep, maybe due to capsaicin, an active ingredient in chili peppers, which affects sleep via changes in body temperature.
Unhealthy Fatty Foods — When you don’t get enough sleep, you're more likely to crave high-fat, high-sugar foods the next day — most of which are the unhealthy kinds of fats and sugars, such as those found in processed foods. Eating these kinds of high-fat foods also has impacts on your sleep and may lead to disrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.