WHAT DOES EATING FOOD HAVE TO DO WITH MY SLEEP?

WHAT DOES EATING FOOD HAVE TO DO WITH MY SLEEP?

WHAT DOES EATING FOOD HAVE TO DO WITH MY SLEEP?

Fast food! Too much food! The kind of food! Food sensitivity! Eat too late! They all have one thing in common: eating the wrong food (and drinking), too much food, or too late at night can wreak havoc on your sleep.

Fast food! Too much food! The kind of food! Food sensitivity! Eat too late! They all have one thing in common: eating the wrong food (and drinking), too much food, or too late at night can wreak havoc on your sleep. Did you know that just changing your diet can really improve your sleep?

Let's start with when you eat the last meal of the day. If you eat too large a meal, too late at night, you can almost be sure that you will wake up at midnight feeling the digestion process and the effects of overeating or at least eating that larger meal too late in the morning. evening. 

For most people, it is best to eat smaller portions in the early evening. I think the Europeans have the right idea. They eat their main meal from noon to 2 p.m. So for the evening meal, it's usually a lighter fare, like the soup and the sandwich. 

Oh, that makes a lot more sense and is a lot easier in your digestion process. Eating the biggest meal at noon gives you the flexibility to digest it while you run the rest of the day, instead of carrying the weight of the meal to bed with you.

However, there is a caveat: don't go to bed hungry. Even cravings in the middle of the night can wake you up. And just like the circadian rhythm that our body feels, it's important to eat on a fixed schedule to restore balance. Eating at set times helps regulate your body's biological clock. Our bodies work better on a regular basis. Disruptive or inconsistent timing for meals can lead to disruptive sleep patterns.

What to eat now? Beware of food intolerances if you have trouble sleeping. Some of the common food sensitivities include wheat, dairy, corn, and chocolate. 

It is believed that with intolerance, the brain releases histamines. These histamines disrupt your biochemistry causing restlessness, irritation and inattention during the day, and insomnia at night. Histamine replaces neurotransmitters and causes disruption of the biochemical circuit of the brain, responsible for thinking, mood, and behavior. When this circuit is interrupted, one of the symptoms may be insomnia.

In addition to the release of histamines, physical discomfort can occur after ingesting foods to which you may be sensitive. A good example is that wheat can cause an upset stomach and bloating, two side effects that will probably keep you awake (and sore) overnight.

If you think this may be one of your contributors to insomnia, start a culprit elimination diet. In the example above, cut out anything that contains grain. When all of the grain is removed, if this is a contributing factor, your sleep will begin to improve almost immediately.

In terms of drinks, as everyone probably knows, you need to eliminate or drastically reduce your caffeine intake. Even a few cups of coffee in the morning can affect your sleep. Caffeine has a long half-life, so it should be drunk with caution early in the morning. Absolutely do not drink caffeinated drinks before bed, or you will toss and spin all night.

 And it's not just coffee and cola drinks that can cause trouble sleeping, many over-the-counter medications, such as cold and cough preparations, contain caffeine and can even cause heartburn. sleepless nights.

Typical foods to avoid, especially late at night, are:

Tea,Coffee,Colas,Spicy, foods,Alcohol,Chocolate,

Medicines containing caffeine

Refined carbohydrates - such as cookies, pastries, donuts, sweetbreads

Preservatives

Foods that can cause gas / bloating, such as beans, cucumbers, fatty/spicy foods

Foods high in protein, like beef, can inhibit sleep by blocking the synthesis of serotonin, which makes us more alert.

MSG (monosodium glutamate, often found in oriental foods.

Food to eat - foods that improve sleep:

Whole grain bread, bagels, and crackers, brown rice - rich in complex carbohydrates. They increase serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that promotes sleep.

Mushrooms, Fruits - lemons, figs, dates, bananas, grapefruit, Legumes

Fish or poultry. Turkey is rich in tryptophan, which promotes sleep.

Hot honey milk is still one of the best remedies for insomnia. Milk contains tryptophan, which turns into serotonin, inducing sleep.

The bottom line is this: If you want to fall asleep easier, eat a small snack of complex carbohydrates and avoid high protein foods about an hour before bed. Avoid too many ingredients in a meal and too much late-night food. And a final comment. Free reprint of articles, try to stick to a new or modified eating routine for at least 2-4 weeks to see if it improves your sleep patterns.