(Newswire.net — July 19, 2019) — We all know that diet, stress management, and exercise have a direct effect on our mental and physical health. However, little do we know that sleep also has a significant impact on our well-being. Let it fall short, and it can take a severe toll on our daytime energy, productivity, emotional balance, and even your weight. While eight hours of sleep may not often be possible, using a sleep calculator can help you understand what time you need to sleep to wake up refreshed.
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Ever felt like you’re all set for bed but sleep seems like an impossible goal which leaves you wide awake till three in the morning searching for stuff on the internet? Well, the cure for sleep difficulties can often be found in your daily routine. With this, the way you feel during your waking hours often hinges on how well you sleep at night. You can change how you sleep by improving the quality of sleep.
Researchers have been learning about the correlation between poor sleep and our dietary choices. It is clear that one affects the other. With a lack of adequate sleep, there is an increased risk of weight gain, an unhealthy diet and an increase in food consumption. If you find yourself snacking continuously or overeating your meals, you might want to check your sleeping habits. And it causes us to have cravings for foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates – with increased chemical rewards to the brain when we do eat these foods. These unhealthy behaviours can leave you struggling to fall asleep. Sleep deprivation is a severe condition that can lead to critical health issues like heart problems, immune system, mental health as well as affecting your brain.
On the other hand, with adequate sleep, our hormones are regulated. We don’t feel hungry when we are not and we don’t crave unhealthy foods. While our body functions how it is meant to, we can make better choices.
Here are some words of advice so you can have a better sleep at night, improve your health, and bring about a change to how you think and feel during the day. You may also want to invest in some quality home products to create an environment of comfort.
Diet and Sleep: What you eat and drink affects your sleep
In this generation, caffeine became the drug (and food) of choice of busy consumers. For some, their day doesn’t begin without a cup of Joe and many students chug cans of energy drinks to stay up at night. Caffeine doesn’t have nutritional value and the only utility it does provide is the ability to stay up. Similarly, sugars can provide you the boost you need but it can lead to weight gain as well as sleep disruption. Another noteworthy drink is alcohol. While many believe that alcohol can help you sleep better at night, it is not true. In fact, it prevents people from sleeping well, leading to a tired, hungover morning.
(Img Courtesy: Nectar Sleep)
The diet of people suffering from health issues should also be closely examined. More specifically, those suffering from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), diet and sleep go hand-in-hand. GERD can cause people to wake up to painful nighttime heartburn. These people are also at the risk of having symptoms of sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, insomnia and tiredness. It is a hard problem to have but one that can be effectively controlled by following a proper diet prescribed by a physician.
Food is also a big part of appetite and metabolism. With lack of sleep, the hormones in our bodies are thrown into chaos. This is specific to our hunger hormone – leptin that decreases with lack of sleep, leading the brain to believe that the body isn’t full. Therefore, you tend to have a bigger appetite than normal. The psychological manifestations of sleep and hunger are quite similar. Thus, when you’re feeling sleepy you might feel like you need to order in some food and sit on non-toxic, organic mattress from Awara and munch some snacks instead of going to bed.
While the effect of what you regularly eat and drink on the quality of sleep isn’t as well understood as how sleep affects your eating habits, there is some evidence to support a link between the two. We have all known that eating or drinking highly processed foods or sugary drinks can lead to poor sleep. Eating more high-quality carbohydrates (such as whole grains), colorful vegetables and following a Mediterranean-style eating plan can improve sleep quality. So why don’t you just choose to eat a banana before bed, instead?
(Img Courtesy: Nectar Sleep)
Best Food for Sleep
There are four main vitamins and minerals found in food that aid in promoting sleep: tryptophan, B6, magnesium, and calcium. Some of these substances help the body produce melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that is responsible for regulating your circadian rhythm, i.e., the sleep/wake patterns. When you’re close to bedtime, melatonin production increases naturally to help you sleep. In the morning when you’re ready to wake up, melatonin production tapers off to allow you to wake up and be alert for the day.
Of course, you can get over-the-counter supplements but you can also achieve it with a balanced diet.
The following foods can help you sleep better:
- A Mediterranean eating plan, which includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, olive oil. This includes cutting out red meat and processed foods.
- Include protein foods such as chicken, eggs, cheese, fish, peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, milk, turkey, tofu and other soy products.
- Choose carbohydrate foods, such as whole-grain bread and cereals, brown/red rice and oats.
- Eat plenty of fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits.
Worst Food for Sleep
We now know what foods and drinks to avoid but here are some more foods that can rob you of sleep. Many of them are healthy for you to eat, but just not recommended to eat before bed because they can interfere with sleep. Some of them are:
Spicy food. Sometimes that plate of hot wings or spicy curry can be too tempting to pass up. While spicy foods do have some health benefits, consuming them too close to bedtime may not be such a good idea. Spicy foods are notorious for causing heartburn acid reflux, and indigestion, which can interrupt your sleep. The symptoms of heartburn can increase while lying down as it allows the acids to creep up into the esophagus and burn the sensitive lining which can be avoided with an adjustable bed. It is recommended that eating heavy or spicy foods should be at least three hours before bedtime.
Food and drinks that contain caffeine. Drinks containing caffeine such as sodas coffee, or even energy drinks can really help you if you’re feeling low and just need a little pick-me-up on a tiring day. However, it is recommended to avoid caffeine after lunch as it can interfere with sleep. Your body can close to 5 hours to get the caffeine out of your system. Taking a small slice or have a couple of bites will probably not affect sleep. However, if you already have insomnia, you should avoid eating anything late or anything that contains caffeine.
Alcohol. Wine with dinner may seem cool and classy but will also lead you to struggle with sleep at night. Alcohol is a big no-no if you are looking to sleep well. Consuming alcohol has two effects: one is to put you to sleep, and the other is to wake you up three or four hours later. While it can make you drowsy and more likely to fall asleep faster, you will wake up more frequently through the night disrupting the sleep cycles.
Food containing water. Watermelon, cucumber, celery, and spinach are water-rich foods and is a great way to stay hydrated. However, consuming these foods too close to sleep can wake you up incessantly to urinate. It might be better to consume these water-rich foods during the day and avoid overhydration at night. Lay off drinks 60 to 90 minutes before shut-eye. Give you enough time to void that fluid before bed.