Tip of the Week - December Recap

Coach Monika says…

Many athletes and coaches snack after arriving home from late practices. Here are some suggestions to avoid certain foods before bedtime. Modified from: Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D. 

Foods to Avoid Before Bedtime

 If you're ‘hankering’ for a bedtime snack or beverage, don’t just grab the first thing that sounds good. While some foods – a light ‘carby’ snacks like crackers or an apple – can actually help sleep, many others can disrupt sleep, causing nightmares, an irritated stomach insomnia and sleep-interrupting trips to the bathroom. 

Week 1: Pizza

Rethink that late-night order for pizza ... or ‘on the way to home snack’ – for a lot of reasons! That cheesy topping might give you nightmares, according to a recent study, and the acidic tomato sauce can lead to stomachaches and 2 a.m. trips to the bathroom. In addition, pizza is really more than a bedtime snack; eating a second dinner adds a lot of extra calories that you probably don't need! 

Week 2: Coffee

For You Coaches: While some people seem able to down a late- night espresso without losing a wink of sleep, most are not so lucky. If caffeine affects your sleep, try not to have any later than six hours before bedtime. So, skip the Starbucks visit on the way home from late evening practices! 

Week 3: Sugary Cereals

We get it!

• Sometimes a bowl of cereal at bedtime is just the thing! But you're better off sticking with a low-sugar, high-fiber kind, like Cheerios or bran flakes.

• Sugary cereals digest rapidly in the system, so the spike in blood sugar could throw off some of your sleep hormones.

• Low-fiber diets are also linked to lighter sleep.

• Your best bet might be to forgo the food and just get some z's- when you're not getting enough sleep – you're more apt to seek energy by eating more food (especially sugar).

 Week 4: Spicy Foods

Spicy foods do more than stimulate the taste buds – they can irritate the stomach (particularly problematic if one is prone to heartburn), which can make it more difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.