Did you know what you eat can affect how well you sleep?
The foods we consume can affect numerous aspects of our lives including sleep. What you eat can make a difference in how you sleep. Both nutrition and sleep are key aspects of a healthy lifestyle.
The Sleep Foundation recommends a balanced diet that contains many fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to promote sleep and a healthy weight. Getting adequate nutrition without consuming too many unhealthy foods will help promote good sleep2.
A research study found that a lack of nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, D, E, and K are linked with sleep problems. It is thought that a poor diet affects the hormones involved in sleep. Another study found that meals that are high in carbohydrates can affect sleep quality by increasing the number of times a person wakes up at night and reducing the amount of deep sleep. There are also multiple studies that have found that not getting enough sleep can increase food consumption which leads to weight gain2.
According to LiveStrong.com, there are five foods that you want to avoid to have a better night’s sleep1.
1. Caffeine
There is no denying that people love caffeine but the fact is that caffeine negatively affects sleep. It takes several hours for caffeine to be at least half eliminated by the body. To get better sleep you should avoid any caffeine consumption at least six hours before bed.
2. Spicy Foods
Spicy foods can lead to a raised body temperature, heartburn, and acid reflux. These can all interfere and disrupt sleep.
3. Alcohol
Although alcohol may make you sleepy, it does not promote quality sleep. It can also lead to having to urinate several times throughout the night which will wake a person and interrupt the sleep cycle.
4. Chocolate
Chocolate contains caffeine. It may not contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee but it can still affect sleep.
5. Sugar
Limiting sugar is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle for several reasons. One of those reasons is that sugar can lead to poor sleep quality.
Sleep is an important aspect of living a healthy life. Get better sleep by avoiding these foods, building a consistent sleep schedule, exercising during the day, and limiting screen time at night.
Resources
- Leaf Group. (n.d.). The 5 worst foods for sleep, according to a sleep expert | Livestrong. LIVESTRONG.COM. Retrieved September 8, 2022
- Nutrition and sleep: Diet’s effect on sleep. Sleep Foundation. (2022, April 22). Retrieved September 8, 2022