Do You Have Issues Sleeping? These Foods And Drinks Could Be To Blame.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who struggle with sleep, you’ve likely tried all the most-talked-about remedies. Maybe there’s chamomile tea in your pantry and melatonin supplements in your bathroom cabinet. You already know it’s not a good idea to consume caffeine in the late afternoon and that even though that glass of wine may help you initially drift off to sleep, you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night regretting it.

Still struggling? You could be unknowingly consuming something that’s to blame. According to sleep doctors, there are more foods and drinks that can mess with sleep than people realize. Rounded up here are seven foods and drinks that sleep doctors recommend steering clear of if you struggle with sleep. Plus, they offer guidance on which foods will work for you, not against you.

7 Foods And Drinks That Surprisingly Can Cause Sleep Problems

1. Spicy foods

Digging into some hot chicken wings or curry at dinner could cause sleep problems when you head to bed. Dr. Abhinav Singh, a board-certified sleep medicine and internal medicine doctor, is medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center and a medical reviewer for Sleep Foundation. He told HuffPost that eating food that’s spicer than you’re used to can increase acidity in the stomach, which can cause acid reflux that can make sleeping difficult. Singh explained that gastric acid is already naturally higher at night, and if it continues to rise, it can disrupt sleep.

Dr. Ruchir P. Patel, a sleep medicine doctor and medical director of The Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona, agreed. “Eating spicy food close to going to bed can cause acid reflux, which can trigger the brain to wake up excessively.”

In addition to triggering acid