Five Steps to Eat Your Way to Better Sleep

Most people have at one time or another struggled with their sleep. The choices we make during the day, including our food choices, have an impact on how our night goes. The research shows that what we eat as well as the timing of when we eat affects our sleep.  And the quality of our sleep affects our metabolism and the ability of our body to efficiently process the food we eat.

Here are 5 food steps to help set you up for successful sleep:

1)   Adopt an optimal meal schedule

Maintaining proper mealtimes will help to balance our circadian rhythm and natural sleep and wake times. Our recommended mealtimes include:

•     Having breakfast within 1 hour of your naturalwake-up time

•     Lunch about 4-6 hours after breakfast

•     Dinner about 4-6 hours after lunch

•     Discontinue eating about 3 hours before bedtime

2)   Pick the right foods

Eating the proper foods will also improve the quality of our sleep. This connection between sleep and nutrition is likely driven by two hormones, melatonin and serotonin, that are intimately related to how well we sleep. Melatonin leads to drowsiness as it signals the body that it is time to sleep and restore. Certain foods stimulate production of serotonin, which is converted to melatonin in the brain when daylight turns to darkness in the evening.

Here are some food ideas that will improve the quality and length of your sleep:

Protein containing foods rich in Tryptophan: Foods that are high in  tryptophan will support your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.  Tryptophan is an amino acid that is transformed into serotonin in the brain.  Studies show that foods with high tryptophan content will increase total  sleep time and sleep quality (how well you sleep).

•       Turkey

•       Chicken

•       Fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, etc)

•       Eggs (especially egg whites)

•       Pumpkin seeds

•       Beans or peas

•       Peanuts

Foods that are low in saturated fats: Foods that have a low  saturated fat content will promote healthier sleep.

•       Nuts

•       Seeds (including flax seeds)

•       Avocados

•       Coconut

•       Olive or avocado oil

High fiber foods: Studies show that high  fiber foods will increase your deep sleep. Deep (slow wave) sleep is the time  during night that restoration and repair of our body and brain occurs, so you  will feel more refreshed and alert during the day.

·       Oats

·       Lentils and beans

·       Avocados

·       Chickpeas

·       Whole grains

·      Apples  and pears

3)   Focus on the glycemic index

 Try not to have high glycemic index foods such as breads, pasta, or other starchy, high carbohydrate foods within least 3-4 hours before bedtime.

 If you need a snack within an hour before bedtime, choose foods that have a lower glycemic index such as:

•     Oats

•     Greek or other yogurt

•     Leafy green vegetables

•     Beans or peas

•     Sweet potatoes

•     Cherries and kiwi are high in melatonin and promote healthy sleep

•     Many other fruits

4)   Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Proper hydration is important to your overall health and your sleep. We lose about 1 liter of water naturally during sleep. This can be higher if the bedroom is not kept cool (63-67°)during sleep. Drink water during the day to improve your sleep at night. But try to limit your fluid intake within 2 hours of bedtime to reduce middle of the night trips to the bathroom.

5)   Watch out for sleep food foes

These foods make it more difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep and may reduce the amount of your REM (dream) sleep:

·     Foods with high sugar content

·     Foods with high salt content

·     Foods with high saturated or trans fat

·     Spicy foods

·     High carb, starchy foods

·     Caffeine containing foods

·     Alcohol

We hope this review of the impact of nutrition on sleep was helpful for you. If you feel that your sleep could be better, we encourage you to explore simple, evidence-based ways to improve your sleep by downloading the SPI Sleep Journey app (for iPhone or Android) and complete the brief assessment, listen to the 5–6-minute audio book chapters to learn about your sleep and follow the simple, effective step-by-step sleep improvement program. In addition, if you want further guidance, you can sign-up for the SPI personalized sleep coaching program.

We are here to help you Sleep Better and Live better!!

The Team at Sleep Performance Institute

https://www.sleepperformanceinstitute.com/

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