What foods do you eat before bed disturb your sleep?

How do they wake you up at night?

Why does eating before bed negatively affect sleep quality?

These and other questions are answered in this report.

Writer Lauren Kahn says in a report published by the American "Health Digest" magazine that a lot of scientific research has proven that some foods negatively affect sleep quality.

The report quoted Dr. Ronald Kaplan, author of "The Long Life Strategy," that eating at night "only adds unnecessary calories."

From his point of view, eating before bed negatively affects the quality of sleep, because the body cannot burn calories at the required speed.

Here are 11 foods that are recommended not to be eaten before bed:

1- Coffee

It is well known that drinking coffee at night can disrupt your sleep, and caffeine is often blamed as a stimulant to the nervous system.

However, many nutritionists, such as nutritionist Sydney Lab, say it's not just about the "anxiety" that coffee causes.

Lap explained that caffeine stimulates "bowel movement" and has a diuretic effect.

Which means you may have to get up more than once a night to go to the bathroom.

In addition, caffeine relaxes the sphincter muscle between the stomach and esophagus, and when this occurs, stomach contents - including digestive acids - may move into the esophagus, causing an irritation known as GERD.

2- Tea

Drinking tea is often associated with rest and calm, but drinking tea can disrupt sleep.

It contains caffeine, albeit in a smaller proportion than coffee, and yet it may lead to the same problems as coffee, including difficulty sleeping, waking up several times to go to the bathroom and GERD.

3- Plenty of water

According to Dr. Sundra Dalton Smith, a specialist in internal medicine, all drinks affect sleep quality when consumed late, and this includes water as well.

Drinking too much water before bed may cause you to wake up at night to go to the bathroom.

4- Chocolate

Eating chocolate before bed can keep you awake, as it contains two types of stimulants, one of which is caffeine.

Another stimulant is theobromine, which stimulates feelings of happiness that can affect sleep. Levels of theobromine vary for different chocolate products, with darker ones having the highest levels.

5- Acidic foods

Eating acidic foods like tomatoes, sports drinks, or citrus fruits - like oranges and lemons - before bed can cause some problems.

And Dr. Dalton Smith explains that eating citrus fruits may make you suffer from symptoms of acid reflux, including coughing or choking, if you lie down shortly after eating them.

6- Fats

Foods high in fat can cause stomach gas, bloating, and indigestion, according to Dr. Dalton Smith.

Eating foods high in saturated fats and sugar also leads to a shallow sleep and frequent nighttime awakenings.

7- pizza

According to Dr. Ronald Kaplan, pizza is one of the worst foods you can eat before bed, and Kaplan explained that pizza is rich in simple carbohydrates and fats, which causes sleep disturbances.

8- Lots of nuts

Nuts are rich in fats that cause gas, bloating and indigestion.

Plus, they're high in fiber that may cause digestive upset, according to Dalton Smith.

9- Foods rich in fiber

Smith emphasizes that eating high-fiber foods late can affect sleep quality;

This is due to the fact that fiber causes gas and bloating.

Foods high in fiber include nuts, nut butter, fruits (especially dried fruits such as prunes, raisins, and dried apricots), vegetables (especially broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage), high-fiber grains, beans, and oats.

10- Spicy foods

According to nutritionist Alicia Galvin, eating spicy foods at night can negatively affect sleep quality.

11- Fast food

Fast food contains a lot of fat and sugar, so it interferes with sleep, especially if it is taken with a soft drink that contains caffeine.