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Our readers are invited to email us with their questions!
Q: What foods should you avoid before bedtime? (Paul B.) Paul, you should avoid consuming caffeine and its equivalents. This includes coffee, tea, iced tea and sodas. Large doses of chocolate also have caffeine and should be avoided if falling asleep is a concern. You should also avoid eating large meals two to three hours prior to bedtime. These meals can cause other problems that will keep you awake, including heartburn. Research also shows that obesity is tied to nocturnal eating. Rather than high calorie snacks, try eating fruits or vegetables if you're hungry at nighttime. You shouldn't go to bed hungry, because that also can keep you awake at night. --------------------------------------------------------------- Q: What should you do if you're frequently waking up at night? (Cheryl F.) Cheryl, waking up frequently throughout the night can be caused by several things. It could be as simple as your auditory threshold is low and you need a white noise machine to provide an ambient noise level. However, it could be something like obstructive sleep apnea, which can have serious side effects, or another medical condition. It's important to see a sleep expert if you're frequently waking up at night.
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