If you are fond of dark chocolate but have been having trouble sleeping lately, then take a look at your habits. You can get better sleep by making small changes in your diet. Here, know what advice a nutritionist or doctor is giving.

Dark chocolate sleep connection: Hearing the name of dark chocolate brings a smile to most people's faces. It is considered a healthy treat due to its taste, texture and health benefits. But do you know that dark chocolate can also take away your sleep? Yes, despite being healthy, dark chocolate contains some elements that can disturb your sleep cycle, and there is a hormonal reason behind this.

Dark chocolate may be considered healthy, but the elements present in it, like caffeine and theobromine can disturb your sleep. Both these compounds affect the level of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone in your brain, which can lead to delay in falling asleep or frequent interruption of sleep. Especially if it is eaten at night, its effect is felt more. Therefore, if you are suffering from insomnia or sleep disturbances, then consume dark chocolate wisely and at the right time.

What is in dark chocolate?

Dr Deepak Suman of the Medicine Department at Safdarjung Hospital explains that dark chocolate has more cocoa and less sugar or milk. It is rich in many essential nutrients like antioxidants, fiber, iron, magnesium and flavonoids. But along with this, it also contains caffeine and theobromine, these two things can disturb your sleep along with its deliciousness.

Caffeine has a direct effect on sleep hormones

The caffeine present in dark chocolate is also found in coffee, both of which keep the brain alert. When you consume caffeine, it reduces the amount of the sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin produced in your brain. Melatonin is the hormone that tells our body that it is time to sleep. When caffeine suppresses it, it may take time to fall asleep or sleep may be interrupted repeatedly.

How does sleep get disrupted?

Theobromine is a stimulant that speeds up the heartbeat and puts the body into alert mode. Dark chocolate contains a higher amount of theobromine and its effect lasts a little longer than caffeine. This is the reason why you do not feel sleepy even after a few hours of eating dark chocolate, even if the body is tired.

How much and when to eat?

If you want to reap the benefits of dark chocolate but don't want to disrupt your sleep, eat it in the first part of the day, like in the morning or afternoon. Eating dark chocolate after dinner or before bedtime can be a big mistake. Especially if you are struggling with any sleep-related problem (like insomnia or waking up frequently during sleep), it would be better to avoid it completely.

The effect on everyone is different

The important thing to note is that everyone's body is different. For some people, even a little chocolate keeps them awake all night. On the other hand, some people fall into a deep sleep even after eating dark chocolate. If you yourself notice that your sleep is getting disturbed after eating chocolate, then this is a sign for you.