How Food & Drink Directly Affects Our Sleep…

You are what you eat! We’ve all heard it and we all know, whether we like it or not,  that it rings true. As a society caught up in appearance constantly worrying about how we look and how others perceive us, it’s easy to believe that diet only affects this. But our diet heavily affects how we sleep.

Despite how hard it may be to stick to a diet plan, our diet really does play a vital part in how we sleep. From what we eat to when we eat it, there are so many food factors that can affect our sleeping patterns.

 
 

So let’s get into it, what should we eat and drink before bed to ensure we get a great night’s sleep?

  1. Cherries – This fruit is one of the few natural foods to contain melatonin, a hormone which helps you sleep.
  2. Milk – Milk contains tryptophan which is an amino acid that can help relax your body.
  3. Turkey – Like milk, turkey contains ‘tryptophan’, a chemical that can help people reach a relaxed, sleepy state.
  4. Some Carbohydrates (cereal, rice, quinoa and fruit) are good to eat before bed as they contain slow releasing energy. This energy contains nutrients that help you sleep.
  5. Bananas – This fruit can help promote sleep because they contain the natural muscle-relaxants magnesium and potassium.
  6. Sweet Potato – they provide sleep-promoting complex carbohydrates, they also contain that muscle-relaxant potassium.
  7. Almonds – this Nut is bursting with tryptophan and magnesium.

Who knew, cooking specific meals and snacking on the right things before bed could send you off to sleep in no time. And if you’re struggling to be inspired, here’s a few recipe ideas to feed your sleep craving selves:

  • Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with quinoa  
  • Roasted Turkey Breast and sweet potato risotto.
  • Cherry and Banana fruit salad with grated almonds.
  • Homemade Banana ice cream with Almond flakes

If you do find it hard to sleep at night you may need to seriously consider what you’re eating before bedtime. But sometimes when wanting to be cautious about things, it’s easier to know exactly what to cut out. So here is the food and drink that should be avoided before bedtime:

  1. Fizzy Drinks – they contain high levels of sugar which give the body unwanted energy, delaying your sleep.
  2. Coffee – it contains caffeine, which is a central nervous stimulant
  3. Sugary Foods – large amounts of Chocolate before bed not only contains calories but caffeine, especially dark chocolate.
  4. Alcohol – of any kind is detrimental to our sleep. Why? It metabolizes quickly in your system which can result in you waking up multiple times during the night. 
  5. Food with high levels of fat will keep you up at night as they contain chemicals that keep the body active. Fat takes a long time to digest which will keep the body awake.
  6. Hard cheese contains high levels of the amino acid tyramine which can actually make the brain feel more alert.

So swap your chocolate for cherries, and pour that vodka and coke down the sink, it’s time to get a good night’s sleep.

 

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