There may not be any conclusive studies showing that you will gain weight if you eat before bed, but there are enough studies showing that there is a correlation between late-night snacks and acid reflux. Even if you do not have symptoms of heartburn, silent reflexes manifesting into shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and coughing fits, are bound to arise, according to certain specialists. You should be having supper at least 3 hours before bed, preferably longer, if you want to keep your body functioning properly and make sure you stay fit and healthy.

However, certain snacks are perfectly fine before bed, even somewhat healthy, particularly if you want to induce sleep. Furthermore, having some baby carrots is not only a daily dose of vegetables, but it helps make you drowsy enough to sleep a rather good-night sleep, all the while adding essential vitamins and amino acids to your body. Some needs are best satiated that way.

There are, however, some foods that you should steer clear of eating before bedtime no matter what.

1. Alcoholic Beverages: It may seem like drinking an alcoholic beverage before bed will put you to sleep, and perhaps it will because alcohol is a depressant, but that slumber will neither be restful nor healthy for your poor body. Furthermore, alcohol has a tendency to relax muscles, including your esophagus, which in turn means that the food you’ve eaten will cause heartburn, as there’s nothing preventing it from reaching upwards. You are pretty much asking for acid reflux if you do this.

2. Soda: You are most definitely asking for a rather uncomfortable sleep and a burning sensation all night long if you drink any form of soda before bed. Between the acid damaging the valves and the carbonation increasing stomach pressure, the least of your worries is that bloated feeling.

3. Cheese: Okay, it may be fatty, but sticking to a low-fat string cheese will be perfect. Going for something harder to digest, say like parmesan or Swiss, and you’re in trouble. Feta and mozzarella are even worse. If you must go for anything, the Swiss is probably your best bet and the low-fat Swiss string cheese is what you should be reaching for in that fridge of yours.

4. Chocolate: Non-fat chocolate pudding makes for a great snack, but keep far away from those fatty, sugary puddings. The fact is that your muscles will be relaxed because of it, the same as with alcohol, while the caffeine and the other less-known stimulants are going to make sleeping akin to a hellish nightmare if you go that route. Non-fat = good! With any fat= terrible reflux!

5. Nuts: Reflux is caused by foods high in fats and carbohydrates; nuts are most definitely high in fats, no matter if it is saturated or not. During the day, have those nuts, though be careful not to overdo it. At night, however, steer clear of the delicious little things that are a recipe for acid reflux. Walnuts, macadamias and peanuts are probably the worst, though you may be able to get away with pistachios and almonds.

6. Citrus: My dear, we all need that vitamin C and love that orange juice, but come nighttime, it’s probably best to steer clear of any drink that may be acidic. That includes eating lemons. Even green apples are a terrible choice of snack. Red apples are not so high in the acid it seems, as many are able to munch on the delectable fruit without side effects throughout the night. Careful though and do not overdo it, even if your body can clearly take it.

7. Coffee: You may have noticed that we drink coffee in the morning to wake up since the caffeine dose is great for a quick pick-me-up. It is not, however, grand at night, where you wish to sleep soundly. Furthermore, the caffeine does indeed create an acid reflux that won’t sit so well on your stomach during your slumber. We most certainly need a good night’s rest if we want to wake up fresh in the morning and ready to take on the world!

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