Eating for a Better Sleep

You know that well rested feeling you get after getting a good night’s sleep? That feeling that makes you want to jump out of bed and take on the day? No? Well, neither do I! 

I have heard people say they wake up feeling this way, but I have always just assumed that they were lying or that it was their personality type. Despite the desire to feel this way, I never tried to see what I could do to improve my sleep. We know that the quality of your sleep affects your diet. Studies, and my own personal experience, show that inadequate amounts of sleep can increase your appetite, especially for foods higher in carbohydrates. 

Without enough rest our hormones will go out of whack. Ghrelin, the hormone that is responsible for hunger, is produced at higher rates, while Leptin, the hormone that controls satiety, is produced at lower levels. This imbalance is what causes us to reach for that cream cheese bagel at lunch, instead of the salad.

So if the quality of your sleep affects your diet, does the quality of your diet affect your sleep? In short, yes.

The food we eat throughout the day affects our hormonal balance and can actually help us get a better sleep. There are certain foods and eating habits that can stimulate a calming response from your nervous system.

Let’s start with the obvious, Caffeine. Most likely the reason you don’t wake up felling well rested, even if you got those 8 hours, is because the quality of your sleep was low. Caffeine can interfere with our sleep cycle and prevent us from falling into a deep sleep. Drinking too much caffeine throughout the day, or drinking it later in the day can affect your deep sleep.

Start by reducing your total caffeine intake, or cutting yourself off by 3 PM. Or better yet, try skipping caffeine for a day. I know it sounds impossible, but if you do you will see how your sleep improves that night.

Heavy meals late at night are not helping with your sleep either. Large meals stimulate your digestive tract. There is an increase in blood flow and many hormones are being secreted.

During digestion the nervous system in stimulated which makes it difficult to have a good night’s sleep. So try to eat dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Bedtime snacks that can actually help improve sleep? Yes please. I know I just told you to eat 3 hours before bedtime, but sometimes it has been more than that and we actually do feel hungry. This is ok as long as you reach for the right foods.

Try reaching for some walnuts, a cheese stick, or even a few wholegrain crackers and a tablespoon of peanut butter. All of these foods can increase serotonin levels which helps us sleep.

Herbal tea is another way to go as well. Make yourself a nice hot cup of Chamomile tea to help calm your nervous system before bed. This is a definitely a step you want to include in your bedtime routine, somewhere between moisturizing and brushing your teeth.

Balance your meals throughout the day. Don’t skip breakfast or lunch, this can throw off your hormone balance, which can lead to inadequate sleep. These meals should include carbs, protein, and healthy fats, all of which supply the body with the vitamins and minerals that are necessary for better sleep. A diet high in vitamin B, zinc, and magnesium, all of which can be found in whole grain foods, may help your sleep cycle.

Get off of your phone/ tablet/ laptop… about an hour before bed. I know it is not food related, but the blue light that is emitted from these devices will through off your melatonin levels, the sleep-inducing hormone. Unfortunately this means no more late night insta-stalking. I mean you can always real-life stalk, but I wouldn’t recommend this. Try reading from an actual book while sipping your chamomile tea, how cozy does that sound?

This may be the hardest thing for you to do, but it will make the world of a difference. Also if you don’t take your phone into your room, there is no way you will get out of bed to go get it. So if you find it hard to stay off of your phone I recommend leaving it in another room, preferably on another floor for extra discouragement.

If you try at least one of these tips, I promise you that it will mkae a world of a difference!

Sweet Dreams!!

Nathalie Lati recently graduated from Montclair University with a degree in nutrition and food science. She is dedicated to helping people understand healthy living is not about dieting, it is about balance.