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How long before bed should I eat chocolate?

three hours Here's a tip that will help: don't eat chocolate at least three hours before bedtime. This will ensure that there's enough time to digest your food before you sleep.

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Most of us love chocolates, don’t we? A good bar of chocolate can solve all the problems in the world, or that’s what we’d like to believe. The urge to have it rises especially at night and most of us are guilty of indulging in it before bedtime. Sounds harmless, doesn’t it? Well, the sad news is it’s exactly the opposite because chocolate before bed can really mess with your sleep. Experts suggest that eating chocolate after 5 pm is a bad idea. We know you’re crying out loud, just like we did when we heard this piece of news. Oh, and dark chocolate is banned too. Yes, this variety of chocolate has a whole lot of health benefits, but reserve it for a small treat post-lunch. You must be wondering why so much drama around chocolate before bedtime? Well, that’s because chocolate contains caffeine, which makes it hard to fall asleep. And when you do not get deep sleep, you don’t feel rested. According to research, your body tries to process caffeine, sugar and fat, all the same time, when it’s time to ideally slow down. Although chocolate has a compound called theobromine that helps to lower your risk of heart disease and insulin resistance, caffeine is the culprit.

What is the best thing to do?

Remember every person’s body is different. For some, having caffeine at night has no impact, while for others, even a small amount can interfere with their shut-eye. So, if you have trouble falling asleep, we suggest you steer clear of it for sure. Here’s a tip that will help: don’t eat chocolate at least three hours before bedtime. This will ensure that there’s enough time to digest your food before you sleep. We already know eating a large meal before bedtime can heavily impact your sleep. Now, we aren’t saying you need to go hungry to bed. So, if those hunger pangs strike, just have a small piece of banana or some peanut butter.

Here are some other foods that will help promote sleep

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Which fruit induces sleep?

Cherries. Cherries and cherry juice contain high levels of melatonin, a hormone in the brain that controls your sleep regulation. One study even shows that drinking tart cherry juice could improve sleep in people who suffer from insomnia.

ajc.com - 5 fruits that can help you eat your way to sleep

Credit: Courtesy of Aleta Meadowlark/Flickr Credit: Courtesy of Aleta Meadowlark/Flickr

Cherries

Cherries and cherry juice contain high levels of melatonin, a hormone in the brain that controls your sleep regulation. One study even shows that drinking tart cherry juice could improve sleep in people who suffer from insomnia. Conducted by Louisiana State University, the study found that adults who consumed just 8 ounces of tart cherry juice two times a day slept for an additional 85 minutes.

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Berries

Berries -- including blueberries, raspberries and blackberries -- contain very high levels of antioxidants. According to experts at the National Sleep Foundation, antioxidants can protect you from the stress of a sleep disorder, which can cause oxidation in the body. Consuming antioxidant-rich berries before bed can help reduce your overall physical stress, thereby allowing you to have a more restful sleep. Another fruity treat to enjoy before bed is the humble pineapple. Also high in melatonin, researchers discovered that after eating pineapple, the melatonin markers in the body could increase by 266 percent. This means that regularly consuming this sweet treat before bed could help you fall asleep fast and stay asleep longer.

Credit: Courtesy of Scott Webb/Flickr Credit: Courtesy of Scott Webb/Flickr

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