Aged Cheese
If a nap is in your future, steer clear of Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, and other hard cheeses (basically, all the yummy smelly ones!). The high levels of the amino acid tyramine are known to keep you up.
Milk Chocolate
The average milk chocolate bar contains tyrosine, which is converted into dopamine — a stimulant, says Cynthia Pasquella, CCN, CHLC, CWC. This causes alertness and restlessness, which can keep you up at night.
Spicy Foods
Those hot wings may taste damn good during the football game, but they aren't going to feel so great come bedtime — especially if you're prone to heartburn. Make sure you eat your favorite hot foods early enough in the day to prevent a sleepless night later.
Tomato-Based Sauces
Have that plate of pasta at least few hours before tucking in at night. Tomato-based foods have a tendency to cause acid reflux and heartburn, which will prevent you from having a good night's sleep.
Soy
Fermented soy products have some of the highest amount of tyramine — meaning soy sauce, tofu, miso, and even teriyaki sauce should be avoided hours before snoozing.
Ginseng Tea
Herbal teas are great for sleeping, but steer clear of ginseng. It's been shown to act as a stimulant, and though some tea drinkers don't feel any effects from the tea, others experience insomnia and hypertension. If you might fall in this category, avoid drinking it several hours before bed, recommends Pasquella.
Processed or Smoked Meat
Leave this one on the deli counter. Pasquella says processed meats contain high levels of tyramine and makes the brain release a chemical that makes us feel alert. These meats also aren't the healthiest ones to munch on either, sleep patterns aside.
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