Candy is all tricks with minimal treats.

Image by: https://unsplash.com/@entersge

We want to start by saying, we love candy just as much as the next person.  Even our CEO, who has been type one diabetic for 26 years, is known to enjoy a sweet treat.  When it comes to candy, moderation (and that's an understatement), is key. 

There has been a surge in “healthier candies” and many of them are much better than what has dominated the market for so many years. The general reputation of candy is bittersweet. 

During Halloween season, candy and moderation do not get along very well.  Children and Adults both enjoy a little too much candy, especially for the few weeks following Trick-or-Treating.  At least until you feel guilty enough to dump out the contents of the candy bowl. 

Candy is full of sugar, and sugar is not your friend, for the most part. 

Whole foods that contain natural sugar are ok.  The problem is with “added sugars” which you will find in nearly every piece of candy that gets brought home in that old pillow case on October 31st.  

These added sugars can have a major impact on your health.  For this article, we will focus on the sleep portion of how sugar impacts our physical and mental state. 

The article posted in the American Journal of Lifestyle and Medicine was summarized very simply with “The study concluded that poor sleep quality was significantly related to higher added sugar intake.”

The study goes on to say “Over the past 20 years, a sharper decrease in sleep time was reported for adolescents compared with adults and children.28,42 The use of technological devices and the excessive exposure to artificial light, the stress faced by university students caused by prolonged and intensive homework, after school activities or work, the high consumption of caffeinated beverages or energy drinks, or simply the perception that sleep is a wasted time are among the factors that promote inadequate sleep duration in this population group.”

While it's unlikely you will get canned energy drinks for Halloween this year, the sugar is all the same. When you start to sort through and pick out your favorites, be careful what you consume before you get ready for bed. 

Eating sugar before bed can have negative physical and mental effects.  Feelings of nervousness, sadness, and anxiety have been directly connected to too much sugar.  According to healthysleep.org “Eating sugar, especially processed sugars, can cause your blood glucose levels to spike and crash. When your nervous system goes through these extreme highs and lows, you may also experience changes in your mood.”

In addition to your mood, when it comes to sleep, sugar can cause the following:

Night Sweats

Nightmares and Terrors

Snoring

Sleep Apnea 

Hunger Pains

We didn’t even touch on the cardiovascular impact added sugars can have on your body, we will save that for another blog.  For now, just be cautious.  Listen to your body.  If you eat too much candy, take a break and remember, drink plenty of water. 💧

If you want to know about foods and sugars that are actually good for you before bed, check out this other awesome blog we made.  

While we can’t stop you from eating sugar, we can help you with that “excessive exposure to artificial light” as mentioned in the aforementioned medical journal.  Learn more about our products here.