Last Updated on October 13, 2022 by theworldofsleepstaff
It’s the end of a long day, and you’re finally relaxing on your couch with a glass of wine and your favourite show. You’ve been looking forward to this moment all day, and just as you think about how good it feels to sink into that leather sofa, your stomach lets out a low rumble.
Your eyes dart to the fruit bowl on the table next to you, and suddenly it seems like all you can think about is how delicious those ripe grapes look!
But wait! Some fruits should be avoided at night because they’re not great for your sleep cycle or can even be bad for your overall health when eaten before sleep.
Here’s what you should know about some of the problematic fruits that you should potentially avoid before going to bed.
14 Fruits You Should Avoid At Night
1. Banana
To lose weight and improve your health, you may want to think twice before eating bananas at night as bananas often contain high levels of sugar.
Bananas can also cause bloating because they contain fibre and water, making your stomach feel full – although that may be a good thing if it stops you from late night snacking on more unhealthy choices.
2. Apple
If you eat an apple right before going to sleep, it will sit in your stomach and ferment. That can then cause gas and bloating, leading to indigestion and heartburn. And if you have already eaten a meal before bedtime and then eat an apple, this could cause acid reflux.
Apples also contain sugar and other carbohydrates, which can cause your blood sugar levels to spike. If you consume too much sugar before bedtime, this can disrupt your sleep schedule by keeping you up and preventing you from falling asleep quickly. Which is why apples are one of the fruits you should avoid at night.
3. Cucumber
We know what you’re thinking, and yes cucumber is technically a fruit!
Cucumber is also a natural diuretic that helps your body eliminate excess water by increasing urination. Which may not be ideal at night – no-one wants to get up to go to the toilet at 3am!
However cucumbers also contain an amino acid called L-tryptophan, which increases serotonin levels and can make us feel sleepy – which may even help you sleep. But it can also cause melatonin production to slow down, potentially disrupting your sleep cycle. So it may depend on the individual whether eating this fruit before bed could be useful or not.
4. Chikoo
Chikoo fruit is naturally high in sugar. It has a lot of glucose in its cells, making it much sweeter than other fruit. But unfortunately if you overeat sugar before bedtime, you’ll have trouble falling asleep because your blood sugar level will be too high, and higher blood sugar levels mean greater energy in your body.
Consuming chikoo at night can also strain your digestive tract and lead to issues. This fruit may also potentially cause hypersensitivity in certain people because it has chemical elements, including latex and tannins, that might cause an allergic reaction.
5. Orange
You may want to reconsider your plan to eat oranges at night. The reason for that is the fact oranges are high in sugar and fructose, which are bad for your teeth. That can eat away at tooth enamel over time if not correctly cared for. So if you are craving an orange make sure you clean your teeth afterwards.
Oranges’ citrus component could also make it difficult for you to fall asleep by causing your stomach to produce excessive acid. That’s because the body produces more acid when digesting certain foods, and oranges are among those foods. This extra acid can also cause heartburn and indigestion if you eat oranges too close to bedtime.
6. Grapes
Eating grapes at night can cause weight gain because they contain high amounts of sugar and fructose, which can cause blood sugar levels to spike and then drop off when we go back to sleep. That’s especially true if we eat more than one serving.
However, grapes also contain tryptophan, which is a compound that helps with sleep. So a few grapes before bed – rather than a large serving – may be useful for sleep.
7. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is an acidic fruit, which means that it has a high concentration of citric acid in its juice and peel. That acid can irritate your stomach, which causes the release of digestive juices that can lead to heartburn. That’s why grapefruits are one of the fruits you should avoid at night.
Eating grapefruit can also interfere with your body’s ability to properly break down and absorb medications, which can cause serious side effects.
8. Dried Fruit
Eating dried fruit at night can cause you to feel bloated and uncomfortable in the morning. The sugar in dried fruit is quickly digested by your body, which means it doesn’t provide the same slow-burning energy as other foods. That can leave you tired and groggy without giving you any natural sustenance.
Eating dried fruit can also lead to weight gain because of its high sugar content. It contains more calories than fresh fruit per serving size, and since most people don’t eat just one serving, this can add up quickly. Eating a large amount of sugar before bed can also cause temporary spikes in blood sugar levels that may affect sleep quality by keeping you awake longer than usual.
9. Pears
Eating pears at night may be a bad idea because of how much fibre they contain. If you overeat fibre at night, it can cause some people digestive problems. While fibre is excellent for your health in general, overeating fibre right before bed can keep you awake and make it hard to fall asleep, which is why pears have made it onto our list of fruits you should avoid at night.
When you eat a pear that is packed with a lot of fibre, it takes longer to digest than other foods. That means your body has more work to break down those foods, leading to bloating, stomach pains, and nausea. If you overeat fibre or don’t drink enough water while doing so, it can even cause constipation.
10. Tangerines
Before reaching for that second tangerine, it’s essential to know that eating tangerines at night can adversely affect your digestion.
Tangerines contain a high amount of fructose. Fructose is a sugar that causes your body to produce more insulin, leading to abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. The sugar in tangerines can also decrease blood flow to your intestines, which makes it harder for nutrients to get into your system.
11. Lemons
Lemons contain high amounts of citric acid, which can irritate the lining of your stomach and intestines if you consume them before bedtime. That can cause stomach upset and diarrhoea if it happens too frequently or late at night.
Citric acid can also cause sensitive teeth to erode over time. And if you have an allergy to citrus fruits, drinking lemon-flavoured water could cause heartburn and digestive problems.
12. Clementines
You might want to avoid eating Clementines at night because they’re so sweet. Overeating sugar, especially when it’s not balanced out by protein, fat, or fibre, can cause your blood sugar levels to spike. It can lead to an insulin response that causes you to feel hungry again soon after eating.
Second, the acidity in citrus fruits can damage your tooth enamel and make it more vulnerable to cavities. The acidity in clementines is actually more robust than most other citrus fruits due to the high acid content of their juices. That means it takes longer for your mouth’s natural defences to neutralize the acid left behind after chewing on a clementine than it would with other fruits.
13. Pineapples
Eating pineapple at night can disrupt your sleep cycle by stimulating the digestive system and causing heartburn or indigestion. Not only does this make it harder for you to fall asleep, but it also interrupts your REM cycle, which can cause long-term damage to your brain cells. That’s why pineapple is one of the fruits you should avoid at night.
Pineapple also contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein into smaller pieces so it can be absorbed more easily by your body. While this is great during the day because it improves nutrient absorption, it has the opposite effect when eaten at night. Instead of helping digestion work better during sleep, bromelain prevents many people from experiencing deep sleep cycles due to increased muscle contractions as their bodies try to digest food.
14. Mangoes
Mangoes are known for their high sugar content and so they can cause blood sugar spikes if consumed too close to bedtime. Too much sugar before bed will make it difficult for you to fall asleep, leading to poor sleep quality.
Mangoes also contain allergens like latex protein and urushiol oil in the skin of mangos. These allergens can trigger allergic reactions, such as itching and swelling, in some people who are sensitive to them.