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We lose sleep over so many things, so the last thing we need is our late-night dining decisions working against us. Everyone likes a little nighttime nosh, but what you decide to nibble on can drastically affect how well you sleep. While some foods help your slumber, others (fatty or greasy options) can wreak havoc on your rest. If you�re looking for a peaceful night, here are the 10 foods you should avoid right before bed. No.1 Red Meat After a big portion of red meat -- be it a nice brisket or a big, juicy steak -- most of us undo the top button on our jeans and give way to the snooze-inducing itis. The problem is that red meat is loaded with proteins and fats that will keep your body hard at work throughout the night. To achieve a deeper sleep, you ideally want all your systems at peace -- and meat takes longer to digest than any other foods. Don�t avoid red meats altogether, as they have high levels of iron and tryptophan, which helps sleep. Just don�t eat it right before bed, or your body will be busy breaking it down all night. No.2 Alcohol There�s a general belief that copious amounts of alcohol puts you into a deep daze and produces great sleep, but that�s not fully accurate. While alcohol does help you get to sleep, it doesn�t lead to long-lasting and refreshing rest. Alcohol actually interferes with the restorative functions of sleep, often paving the way for shallow sleep and several awakenings throughout the night. On top of that, people who regularly use alcohol to fall asleep develop a dependency on it, which creates a frustrating cycle. If you�re aiming for a deep, peaceful sleep, alcohol is to be avoided. No.3 Dark Chocolate Who doesn�t like to sneak a little nub of chocolate before bed to get that warm feeling inside? Unfortunately, if you�re aiming for a good night�s sleep, dark chocolate is one of the foods you�d better avoid. Dark chocolate is a sneaky source of caffeine, which is known to perk you up. Almost all chocolate contains some level of caffeine, and on top of that, it�s loaded with stimulants like theobromine, which is known to make your heart race a little bit. The lone saving grace is white chocolate, which doesn�t have theobromine and is usually short on caffeine. No.4 Garlic You might want to avoid garlic before bed if you�re sleeping with a partner, but it�s best avoided for reasons besides bad breath. Garlic is known as a �hot herb,� and, along with spicy food, it tends to have some properties in it that can cause heartburn. It�s known to sometimes have the side effect of upsetting the stomach, so if you have a weak stomach or are vulnerable to acid reflux, the last thing you want to do is light the fire right before you lie down to rest. No.5 Ice Cream Ben & Jerry�s might be the most comforting bad-breakup bed accompaniment, but there's a limit to its soothing properties. For starters, ice cream is loaded with fat, so you�re not going to give your body a chance to burn any of it before bed, and then all of the sugar is going to pump your body full of energy right before you hit the hay, so you�ll be sending your body divergent messages. On top of that, the sugar just gets stored and turned to fat, too, so this is a lose-lose situation all around. It�s also been discovered that eating high-sugar foods before bed causes nightmares (see slide six), so while the taste might be calming, the results are unnerving. Read more: http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/food-before-bed_10.html#ixzz1uATtTl94