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Watch What You Eat
Synopsis
Sleeping and eating have more in common than their shared standing as fundamental biological functions. The quality of your sleep has a great impact to your eating pattern; eating certain foods can have a great impact to the quality and time of your sleep patterns. See the relationship? Therefore, eating a balanced and healthy diet can enhance your sleep, and vice versa.
In the succeeding paragraphs, you will be able to know the best and worst foods that can positively or negatively affect your sleep time and quality.
The Foods
Proteins and Carbohydrates
Foods rich in carbohydrates like breads and pastas can make you fall asleep easily. They perfectly work with proteins to stimulate sleepiness, making combinations like cracker and cheese, cereal with milk, or toasted peanut butter great bedtime snacks. However, eating a large meal with a high amount of carbohydrates before bedtime can make you feel tired. You should also limit your protein consumption before going to bed because foods rich in it contain tyrosine, a type of amino acid that rouse the activity of the brain.
Dairy Foods
Yogurt, cheese and milk are some of the foods that are rich in tryptophan, a type of amino acid that converts to serotonin and melatonin—both considered as good sleep inducers.
Peanuts, Poultry, Bananas and Oats
Just like dairy foods, peanuts, poultry, bananas and oats also contain tryptophan. Low-protein and high-carbohydrate meals are also believed to increase tryptophan levels.
Spicy Foods
These foods usually stimulate heart burn, which may keep you awake all night long. So, if your body is not quite comfortable with spicy foods, then you need to avoid them because your sleep quality will be at stake.
Caffeine and Energy Dips
The energy of the body naturally flows and ebbs throughout the day. In accordance with the National Sleep Foundation, there are common times for sleepiness—specifically 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. Taking a nap, especially in the afternoon, will help balance your energy and guarantee a normal duration of sleep at night. It is also crucial to plan caffeine intake around your sleep patterns. Just like sugar, a high amount of caffeine makes valleys and peaks of energy that may disrupt your sleep patterns. Drinking a small amount of caffeine throughout the day is also proven helpful when it comes to sustaining energy.
Circadian Rhythm
Primeval survival intuitions associated with food availability can reorganize the patterns of your sleep or circadian rhythm. By simply fasting for about 16 hours will trigger the brain that food is in short supply. Upon eating the food at a certain time that you wish to be awake, the body will think that food is really present during that time, and will reorganize the pattern of your sleep. This is by far one of the most functional tricks that will help alter a sleep schedule for a time zone change, exercise routine or job change.
Now that you already know that what you eat can positively or negatively affect your sleep pattern, you should begin watching your diet.