May 13, 2022
image source,Getty Images
Poor sleep can have many causes, including stress, exercise, light, daily activities, and more. However, if you have trouble falling asleep, you might as well look for the reasons in terms of eating habits.
British sleep expert Kevin Morgan said that while there is not much evidence that “eating well” can help you sleep, eating poorly will definitely have “adverse effects” on sleep.
He sorted out the following five reasons that may affect sleep, related to diet.
Irregular meals may affect sleep
image source,Getty Images
There is a certain relationship between sleep quality and diet.
“Habitual patterns keep sleep in sync,” Morgan said. The body’s internal clock is called the circadian rhythm, he said. Everyone’s biological clock is unique to you and something you take for granted.
Mealtimes, Morgan explained, are important “timing cues” to differentiate and keep pace with day and night. “If the circadian rhythm is disturbed, it will disturb sleep”.
As for specific meal times, there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” or uniform time. But it’s important to keep yourself comfortable and to be regular. Of course, everyone eats occasionally, but Morgan says the rhythm usually returns within a day or two.
Poor diet may affect sleep
image source,Getty Images
Develop good sleep habits from an early age
A nutrient-dense diet is good for sleep. Those adults who didn’t get enough sleep were more likely to have lower intakes of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, the study found. In people over 50, there was an association between poor sleep and reduced intake of vitamins C, D, E and K.
It is unclear whether the short sleep duration is due to low intake, or that poor sleepers generally pay less attention to a balanced diet, or a combination of both.
When you eat, you also feed the trillions of bacteria in your gut, and studies have shown that having a variety of microbes in your gut can improve sleep in some people.
Therefore, including Professor Spector, an expert on gut health at King’s College London, and Dr. Rossi, a gut health doctor, suggest that to increase the variety of microbes in the gut, eat at least 30 different plant-based diets a week – such as a variety of nuts , beans, grains, seeds, spices, and foods such as fruits and vegetables.
It is best to follow the principle of eating more foods rich in fiber and some probiotics, and eating less and no highly processed foods.
Drinking caffeinated beverages too late can interfere with sleep
image source,Getty Images
Don’t drink caffeinated drinks too late
After 5 or 6 hours, half of your caffeine is still in your system; after 10-12 hours, a quarter is left.
Caffeine blocks receptors for the chemical adenosine that promotes your fatigue, which affects your ability to fall asleep.
Sleep scientist Professor Walker says caffeine reduces restorative deep sleep time even when falling asleep, “probably keeping you from waking up feeling refreshed the next morning”.
It’s worth noting that in addition to tea, coffee, and energy drinks, chocolate also contains caffeine, although cocoa (caffeine) levels are much lower than coffee.
Alcohol doesn’t help sleep
image source,PA Media
Drinking alcohol may also interfere with sleep quality
“Alcohol is perhaps one of the most misunderstood sleep aids,” Walker said. Alcohol is a sedative, but the sedative effect is very different from natural sleep.
Sedatives can turn off “brain cell firing,” Walker explained, and during normal deep sleep, the brain produces a flood of brain waves “with hundreds of thousands of brain cells in incredible harmony.”
Alcohol also blocks rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the period during which dreaming occurs, which is “good for emotional and mental health, and even creativity.” During sleep, alcohol also triggers “nerves in the ‘fight or flight’ part of the nervous system,” which can cause you to wake up more frequently during the night.
Morgan said any dietary changes that try to improve sleep could be overshadowed by the effects of alcohol, though he added that very small amounts of alcohol may have little effect.
Drinking too much water before bed can also affect sleep
Healthy Eating Eatwell recommends that people drink 6-8 glasses of water/fluids per day. It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, but if you wake up frequently at night, it’s best to reduce the amount of water you drink before going to bed.
Whether or not beverages commonly seen as sleep aids — such as hot milk or herbal tea (also known as herbal tea) — actually improve your sleep often depends on your personal habits, Morgan said.
“People who regularly drink hot milk before bed may not sleep well if they don’t drink it, but those who don’t drink it may also affect their sleep if they do,” Morgan said.
Chamomile tea has been shown to help relieve anxiety, insomnia, and a number of other sleep-related problems, and chamomile pills can also be taken if you don’t want to drink tea at night.
If reducing your fluid intake before bed doesn’t stop recurring nights, it’s best to see your doctor.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and should not be considered medical advice by a physician or other healthcare professional. If you are concerned about your health, be sure to consult your doctor.