Food and Sleep

Eating wisely can be an effective tool in establishing healthy sleep habits. Choosing certain foods can lead to a restful night and a happy morning.

 

Sometimes, a wakeful night can be caused by something as simple as hunger. If you tend to wake up longing for a snack in the middle of the night, munch on some whole-grain crackers or help yourself to some yogurt before bedtime.

 

On the other hand, some foods actively aid falling asleep and staying asleep. An amino acid called tryptophan helps your body produce serotonin, which helps you feel sleepy, calm and relaxed. Tryptophan is only available through the foods you eat; your body can’t produce it on its own. When you eat a food rich in tryptophan along with a complex carbohydrate, your body can process the tryptophan more easily. To get enough tryptophan, try the following foods for sleep:

Any of the above sleep-inducing foods, when combined with a healthy carbohydrate-heavy food as an after-dinner snack, can help aid regular sleep.

 

For instance, eggs with whole-grain toast are a good choice. Alternately, whole-grain low-sugar cereal with soy milk can be helpful. The insulin that your body produces to deal with the carbohydrates blocks the amino acids that give you more energy and allows your body to use the tryptophan instead.

 

Eating foods in the right combination can be an important factor in getting a good night’s sleep in other ways. Eating cuisine with more proteins along with fewer carbohydrates for breakfast and lunch helps extend your energy through the day, while eating more carbohydrates with less protein for supper helps your body prepare for sleep.

 

Also, getting enough calcium and magnesium is an important step to aid rest. Calcium helps your brain use tryptophan so that it can produce melatonin. Adequate nutrition can go a long way in regulating sleep.

High-fat meals with large portions make your body work hard to process the food you eat. All that digestive processing can keep you awake. Eating too close to bedtime can cause the same problem.

 

Sometimes spicy foods can keep you awake, especially if you suffer from heartburn. Sugary snacks or meals high in simple carbohydrates, like white flour, release stress hormones in your body that can keep your eyes wide open.

 

Drinking or consuming caffeine close to bedtime can also create a less than restful night. Caffeine doesn’t just stimulate your nervous system. It also:

Caffeine can also cause your liver to release sugar that’s been stored in the organ, which can make you crave more sugar in the middle of the night. It’s probably best to avoid coffee, tea or soda after lunch for these reasons. Be sure to check the labels of any over-the-counter cold or headache medicines before taking them close to bedtime too, since they sometimes contain caffeine.

 

 

Kim, Ben (2007). Healthy Foods That Promote Deep Sleep. Retrieved January 9, 2008, from the Dr. Ben Kim Web site: http://drbenkim.com/best-foods-sleep.html.

 

AskDrSears.com (2006). Foods for Sleep. Retrieved January 9, 2008, from the Ask Dr. Sears Web site: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T042400.asp.