What to eat for a better night's sleep
We all want a good night's sleep, right?!
And we want to nourish our body and brain with good food, so they'll stay healthy?
Luckily, it turns out these things are linked, and a diet that helps our health, also helps our sleep!!
While avoiding caffeine late in the day and avoiding alcohol before bed both help our sleep, what we eat during the day also plays a big role.
After all, our brain needs the right fuel to function and sleep is one of the most vital functions we have.
Research shows that deficiency in various vitamins and minerals can negatively affect our sleep, while eating a balanced nourishing diet can actually boost it. While interestingly, when we are sleep deprived, we tend to choose less healthy foods and over eat - its a vicious cycle..
And as weight and sleep are closely linked, being able to eat a diet that gives us the nutrients our brain and body needs, without giving us too many calories, is also vital.
✔️A whole food diet, high in unrefined carbohydrates, fruits and veges, and low in saturated fat, red meat, and refined sugar, has been consistently linked with better quality sleep and a healthier weight, and is one of the best ways to improve your zzzs.
✔️This diet is rich in fruit, whole grains, legumes, veges, nuts and seeds - and has been shown to reduce the risk of insomnia by up to 35%, and improve sleep quality by 1.4 times!.
It actually gets us off to sleep faster than melatonin supplements and helps us have a deeper more restful sleep.
Interestingly, this dietary pattern closely mimics the MIND diet and modiMED diet - diets proven to reduce the risk of dementia and depression!!
✔️In contrast, some studies show that eating meals high in refined carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (ie foods that ‘spike’our blood sugar, such as white flour, white rice, white noodles, and sweet treats or drinks) not only make us feel tired and sluggish after we eat them - it also makes us wake up more during the night and have less restorative deep sleep.
✔️Sugary drinks and energy drinks are particularly bad for this - so try to avoid them as much as possible, especially in the evening.
✔️A few other diets have also been shown to help sleep quality, one of these is the DASH diet (a low salt Mediterranean diet used to reduce blood pressure) , which contains high levels of fibre and magnesium - these help gut health and may help relax us.
Specific nutrients and compounds are also linked to sleep quality, these are tryptophan, magnesium, folate, fibre, complex carbohydrates, and melatonin
✔️Tryptophan (the precursor to melatonin and serotonin) is needed for our brain to form the neurotransmitters that help us sleep. It also helps us with mood and concentration.
Research shows that fortifying foods with tryptophan improves sleep quality - fortunately you can also get plenty from whole foods.
Tryptophan is found in leafy greens, soybeans, mushrooms, brocolli, nuts, seeds, eggs and poultry.
✔️Melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleep) is also found in some foods, such as tomatoes, mushrooms, kiwifruit, pineapple, tart cherries, bananas, apples and nuts (especially pistachio and almonds) . Red and black rice also contain melatonin.
One study showed that people who ate two kiwifruit each evening for 4 weeks, improved sleep quality, and fell asleep faster. Tart cherry juice also contains melatonin in small amounts and may help sleep.
✔️Magnesium is also crucial for sleep (plus we tend to need more of it when we're stressed), and low levels are linked with insomnia and anxiety. Magnesium is found in dark green leafy veges, nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin seeds) .
✔️Soy isoflavones are compounds found in soy beans, and are Phytoesotrogens (mimic the bodies natural estrogen). They can help sleep quality, especially in women going through menopause and perimenopause, when sleep is often a struggle. One study of over 1000 people showed that higher soy isoflavone intake was linked with better sleep quality and duration. Soy is also highly protective against other health issues around the menopause, such as breast cancer and heart disease, and it contains good amounts of calcium, for healthy bones
✔️Dietary fibre also improves sleep, with one study showing higher fibre intake can increase the amounts of time we spend in restorative deep sleep. Fibre is incredibly good for us - it also promotes gut health, heart health, and better mental health. Fibre is found in most whole plant foods, in particular legumes, whole grains, and root vegetables.
✔️Folate is a B vitamin found in dark green leafy veges and brassica (brocolli, cauliflower etc). It's a crucial vitamin for mental health, with deficiency being linked to higher rates of most mental illness. Adequate folate has been shown to reduce rates of insomnia and restless legs, and also helps us fall off to sleep faster.
✔️Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates found in whole (unrefined) plant foods such as legumes, whole grains, and root vegetables. Eating these increases serotonin levels, and lower stress hormones (cortisol) - both of which help us sleep better and feel happier. Having complex carbohydrates at dinner in particular can help with a better night's sleep.
One super interesting study found that obese security guards doing shift work had significant longer sleep duration when they ate more complex carbs!
And when talking about sleep, its also worth mentioning the timing of meals .
Some research shows that eating too close to bedtime can negatively affect our sleep quality, as well as making us more likely to struggle with our weight - so trying to eat earlier in the evening and avoid snacking after dinner is a great way to help both our sleep, and our waistline
Our brain is literally what we feed it. So if you struggle with poor sleep, try some of these tips and see how your sleep (and energy) improve!
We teach you all you need to know for a better night's sleep in our sleep focus module as well as our full Reboot Your health course, please check them out if you'd like to get more zzzz’s!
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