Do you spend most nights tossing and turning before falling asleep? Do you wake up throughout the night and feel restless even after going to bed early? Most people blame the few cups of coffee they had in the morning, but there’s more to it than just that. Several drinks destroy your sleep more than coffee.
While coffee is beloved for its flavor and pick-me-up nature, it’s not the only drink you want to avoid, or at least drink less of, for a good night’s sleep. Here are the top eight drinks you want to get rid of to start improving your sleep schedule and overall health.
8. Kombucha
The fermented drink kombucha is known for its probiotic properties that are beneficial for the gut, but it’s also known for being one of the many drinks that destroy your sleep more than coffee.
Acidic drinks, like kombucha and lemonade, are great at triggering your acid reflux, which increases the risk of heartburn to leave you with horrible sleep. If you like the probiotic and overall health benefits of this drink, it’s best to dilute it with water and drink it early in the morning.
7. Sparkling Water
Avoid all carbonated drinks if you want a proper night’s sleep. And while sparkling water is becoming more popular as a low-calorie but fun drink to have, it’s one of the many drinks that destroy your sleep.
Carbonation in your sparkling water causes bloating and adds pressure to your stomach, which isn’t ideal when lying down. Even if your drink is free of caffeine and sugar, the carbonation alone can trigger your reflux, giving you an uncomfortable experience at night.
6. Chocolate Drinks
Chocolate drinks, like chocolate milk, chocolate shakes, or hot chocolate, are great morning drinks and evening drinks, but if you value your sleep, you’ll avoid having them in the evening.
That’s because chocolate drinks, especially chocolate milk, contain both sugar and caffeine. The caffeine comes from cocoa, and while it’s not as much as coffee, it’s still a huge problem for those sensitive to caffeine. Plus, that sugar rush will cause a spike in energy, leaving you restless as it disrupts your sleep cycle.
5. Fruit Juice
Fruit juices, like orange or apple juice, are definitely a great drink to have if you want easy vitamins, but they’re one of the many drinks that destroy your sleep. The containers of fruit juice you get at stores are full of sugar, which will lead to crashes during the night, leading to nightmares or restless sleep.
Citrusy drinks, like lemonade and orange juice, also trigger your acid reflux, which will lead to uncomfortable experiences throughout the night.
4. Decaf Coffee and Tea
Avoid tea, like coffee, if you want a better night’s sleep. But did you know that you shouldn’t have decaf drinks as well?
Despite what you might think, decaf coffee and tea still contain a small amount of caffeine, typically between two and 15 milligrams per serving, which can still interfere with staying asleep, especially for those sensitive to caffeine. While decaf sounds like a nice option, it’s best to just have it during the day.
3. Alcohol
While alcohol usually makes you sleepy after a few, and many enjoy a nightcap after dinner, alcohol is actually a huge disruptor to a good night’s rest.
Alcohol is known for completely wrecking your REM schedule, causing you to wake up frequently and have fragmented sleep, which will leave you feeling tired, drained, and disoriented when you wake up the next day.
2. Soda
Having a soda while eating dinner is satisfying, but it really should be avoided if you want to get serious with your sleep schedule.
Soda, especially colas, is full of sugar and caffeine, both of which will ruin your sleep. Even if you choose a zero-sugar drink, it’s still carbonated and can trigger your acid reflux.
1. Energy Drinks
Like the name suggests, energy drinks are one of the worst drinks that destroy your sleep more than coffee, as they’re full of caffeine.
While a soda averages around 30-35 grams of caffeine in a single 12-ounce can, energy drinks average around 160 grams in 16-ounces. That amount of caffeine is enough to completely ruin your night. And that’s not even including the disruption you’ll get from the added sugar and carbonation.