That late-night snack could be a nightmare!

If you’d rather skip the bad dreams, you might want to skip that late night snack too...

 Eating right before bed can trigger nightmares by raising our body’s metabolism and brain activity. A study published in the International Journal of Psychology identifies some specific foods to avoid before bed:

• Spicy food, like hot sauce or mustard, raise the body temperature which can disrupt your first sleep cycle – the one that sets the tone for the rest of the night.

• Junk food like ice cream enhances brain activity and increases the odds of fearful dreams.

• Alcohol can be a nightmare too. You might nod off easier – but when it wears off you’re going through a mini-withdraw which can cause you to wake prematurely or have a bad or disturbing dream.

If you’ve got to have that late-night snack, opt for a banana with some peanut butter. That snack actually encourages your brain’s production of dream-friendly serotonin.