Do you eat a chocolate bar to relieve stress before bed?
A 2024 study in Sleep Medicine shocked the world: dark chocolate improved sleep quality in 40% of people, but caused nightmares in 15%.
Neurologist Matthew Walker , author of the bestselling book Why We Sleep , said:
"The magnesium in cocoa relaxes muscles, but the caffeine in it is a slow-wave sleep bomb."
Where is the line between relaxation and madness
Instagram user @ChocoDreamer shared a life hack: she eats 20g of chocolate with 90% cocoa before bed and claims to see “prophetic dreams”.
Her post garnered 300,000 comments, but sleep specialist Michael Breus criticized the method:
"Even dark chocolate contains theobromine, a stimulant that disrupts sleep cycles."
The story of 50-year-old Brian from Florida added drama: after a month of “chocolate therapy,” he began to sleepwalk and... baked a cake in his sleep.
But why then did Benedictine monks drink cocoa before prayers for centuries?
Scientists from the University of Zurich have found the answer: flavonoids in chocolate increase serotonin levels, but only if you eat it 3 hours before bed.
Pastry chef Dominique Ansel advised Food & Wine :
"Add nutmeg to hot chocolate - it's a natural sedative."
However, nutritionist Bridget Zeitlin called this a myth:
"Nutmeg in large doses causes hallucinations. It is better to replace sugar with stevia."
The controversy has reached Hollywood. Actress Jennifer Aniston has admitted that she eats chocolates before filming romantic scenes: "It gives me a feeling of euphoria."
But her colleague Reese Witherspoon gave up sweets:
"After my role in Legally Blonde, I associate chocolate with panic."
Scientists from MIT have proposed a compromise: cocoa powder without sugar. But as the sign on the wall of a chocolate factory in Brussels says: "Sweetness requires sacrifice."
