You’re tossing and turning in bed. You’ve tried counting sheep, counting down from 100, staying still for 15 minutes, but you look at the clock and it glows back in your face that it’s 2:00 a.m. Here’s to another sleepless night.

Think about this though, could the “innocent” snack you ate earlier be disrupting your sleep now?

Not only will eating the wrong foods add unnecessary calories to your diet, it can affect your sleep.

So before diving into the fridge for your late night snack, here are five reasons to avoid doing that, and why:

1. Fat-filled and greasy foods

Greasy, heavy, high-fat foods not only slow you down but they make your stomach work harder in order to digest it all.

Also, a heavy meal activates digestion. This can lead to many trips to the bathroom at night—another sleep disturbance.

2. High-carb or sugary foods

You may think a little something sweet before bed is just what you need.

A bad decision, such as scarfing down a piece of cake, will spike your blood-sugar levels and could cause your energy to increase and then quickly plummet.

This irregular fluctuation is disrupting your sleep.

3. Red meat and other proteins

Even though protein is an essential part of our daytime diet, it can be a poor choice for a bedtime snack.

Like high-fat foods, proteins can sit in your stomach because they’re hard to digest…and that makes it hard for your body to fall asleep.

4. Heavy, spicy foods

While spices can be a natural cure for many ailments, step away from the spicy foods when you’re craving something late at night.

Spicy foods not only can upset your stomach and lead to heartburn, but the chemicals in them can stimulate your senses.

This stimulation also makes it harder to sleep.

5. A nightcap

Even though alcohol may seemingly help you fall asleep faster, it may also cause frequent awakenings, headaches, night sweats and nightmares.

For a good night’s sleep, our body’s best bet is to avoid alcohol consumption during the four to six hours before bedtime.

Ultimately, eating anything late at night can raise your blood sugar, making it likely that you’ll experience a blood sugar crash while you’re asleep.

This vicious cycle is a recipe for adrenal exhaustion and may explain why many of us struggle with chronic sleep issues.

Get more details! Go here to watch a video on how poor sleep affects fat loss. Learn how to get your best night’s sleep since you were a child…and end nighttime snacking!