If you're having trouble sleeping, what about a midnight snack? Think twice—here are five foods that can prevent you from getting a good night's rest:

Preserved and Smoked Meats
Slap your hand away when it reaches to make a ham sandwich as an evening snack. Ham, bacon, sausages, and smoked meats contain high levels of the amino acid tyramine, which triggers the brain to release norepinephrine, a brain stimulant that makes us feel alert and wired.

Chocolate
Love an evening cup of cocoa? That sundae in front of the TV? Be careful of chocolate in all its disguises. Many people are increasingly sensitive to caffeine as they get older, and even the little chocolate chunks in chocolate chip ice cream could zap you just enough to prevent ZZZZs. Chocolate also contains tyrosine, a stimulating amino acid.

Energy Drinks
Red Bull and other energy drinks are high in caffeine as well as the amino acid taurine, which boosts alertness and adrenaline. Recent studies have shown that even if you drink energy drinks early in the day, the combined high dosage of taurine and caffeine can make it hard to sleep, or to sleep well, later on.

Tomato Sauce, Chili, Pizza, and Spicy Foods
Digestive disturbances are a common source of sleep problems, but many people fail to make the connection. Acidic and spicy foods can cause reflux, heartburn, and other symptoms that interrupt sleep.

The Nightcap
A drink or two may make you feel more relaxed after dinner, but it comes back to haunt you—literally—a few hours later, by preventing you from achieving deep sleep. And because alcohol both dehydrates you and makes you have to pee, it wakes you up, too. Wine is high in the stimulant tyrosine as well.

Cheers!

D'OH!

Chocolate?

Awwww...

Hi stayhealthy2009,

In institutions of higher learning you will be expelled for plagiarising some-one else's work and this is exactly what you have been doing. If you want to use some-one else's work give them the credit for the work by supplying a link, otherwise it is theft.


http://www.caring.com/articles/foods-that-prevent-sleep


Cheers

Hi John,

I don't claim ownership of the articles. I got them from a friend's email. I find them very useful and informative so I thought of sharing them here.

By the way you have the correct link. But I am not sure if I am already allowed to post links here other than my sig.

Cheers!

Hi stayhealthy2009,

You can, from my understanding of the rules, post links for people to read but not unpaid for advertising, if I am wrong about this I will be corrected.

When I write a post if I use some of another person's work I always post the link, not only to acknowledge that it is their work, but in case I have something wrong, and I may be giving them credit for my mistake.

If you don't acknowledge the proper author then it is deemed plagiarising and it is considered an act of theft, you are claiming ownership by omission.

I haven't looked at the research yet to see if these things have been proven to everyones satisfaction yet.

Cheers

Thanks John for the insight. Perhaps I can post valid links of my sources even if I am newbie here. I better review the rules again. Cheers.