11 Foods That Disrupt Your Sleep

Avoid these rest-sappers to gain energy for your next run.

- Natalie Rizzo

My running partner Audra Boyle always looks like a bleary-eyed zombie when she arrives at the starting line of a race. While sucking down a caffeinated GU energy gel, she recounts her sleepless night of tossing, turning, running to the bathroom, and finally passing out around 3am. Like many runners, Audra attributes her poor night’s rest to pre-race jitters – but it could have been something she ate. Some foods have characteristics, such as a certain macronutrient breakdown or a particular chemical compound such as saturated fat, that can mess with your sleep. Feeling more groggy than energised before a run? Avoid these 11 sleep-sappers.

Coconut Oil

Using this trendy oil for your stir-fry seems like a good idea, but it can have a negative impact on Z’s. A study in the Journal of Sleep Research suggests that consuming hexadecanoic acid, a saturated fat found in coconut oil, may interfere with your ability to clock a solid eight. Instead, opt for olive oil, which only contains unsaturated fat and boasts additional heart-health benefits.

Tea

Although tea before bed is a common ritual, this warm beverage has two strikes against it in the sleep department. Black and green teas have caffeine and another sleep-disturbing compound called theobromine, which can act as a diuretic and increase your heart rate. Choose herbal non-caffeinated tea (e.g. rooibos) to avoid both of these stimulants; and drink it a few hours before bed, to give you enough time to use the bathroom if needed.

Tomato Sauce