Aattack 1 in 3 Americans say they are sleep deprived and that these deficits are linked to serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and depression. Certain eating patterns can lead to greater nighttime rest, translating into healthier, more fulfilling lives.
A good night’s sleep also stabilizes the body’s hunger hormones for less impulsive snacking the next day. “It’s a cycle,” says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, associate professor of nutrition and director of the Irving Medical Center of Excellence for Sleep Research and Circadian Research at Columbia University. “If you eat better, you will sleep better and be more refreshed. And that helps you make better decisions for your diet.”
Here’s what to eat to sleep better.
Take tryptophan the right way
The key to improving nighttime rest is choosing a diet with lots of sleep-promoting compounds. This is not limited to any food or ingredient. “It’s more of a holistic profile with several helpful components,” says St-Onge.
One of them is tryptophan, a component of protein. The body does not produce any of this. Instead, we get tryptophan from foods: yes, turkey, but also fish, eggs, yogurt, and nuts like walnuts, among other examples. Once ingested, tryptophan passes from the blood to the brain and transforms into melatonin, the hormone that causes drowsiness during nighttime sleep.
However, there is a hiccup: not much tryptophan gets into the brain if other substances are competing for entry. But when we combine tryptophan-containing foods with healthy carbohydrates, like lentils or fruit, cells throughout our bodies gobble up the competitors, eliminating the tryptophan’s pathway.
“We need tryptophan in combination with carbohydrate-rich foods,” says Arman Arab, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School specializing in nutrition.
The Mediterranean diet is a regimen loaded with both tryptophan and healthy carbohydrates – those with lots of fiber. Just like carbohydrates, nutrients like zinc, B vitamins, and magnesium play important roles in converting tryptophan into melatonin for better sleep, and the Mediterranean diet provides each of these components. Spinach, barley and whole wheat are great companions for tryptophan-rich foods. Arab recently discovered that people who follow the Mediterranean diet have better sleep quality and less insomnia. St-Onge researched similar associations.
Avoid foods that cause inflammation
An ideal diet leaves out foods with substances that can harm your sleep. They include less healthy carbohydrates, such as low-fiber, high-sugar cereals, bagels, and fruit juices. People who eat unhealthy carbohydrates tend to wake up more often overnight, according to St-Onge’s research.
When consumed frequently, foods high in saturated fats (e.g. beef and chicken with skin) also contribute to sleep problems.
A common denominator between unhealthy carbs and saturated fats is that they both produce inflammation throughout the body, a problem linked to lower sleep quality and duration, says Arab. A diet full of these foods can also lead to excessive weight gain, which can cause sleep apnea and pressure on the diaphragm, further disrupting sleep.
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People can use the Dietary Inflammatory Index to score your daily consumption of inflammatory foods. Scores improve with plenty of healthy, unsaturated fats, like those in salmon, nuts and seeds. These foods are anti-inflammatory and prevalent in the Mediterranean diet – another reason why this diet promotes sleep.
Having a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is ideal, says Erica Jansen, assistant professor of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Michigan. Diversity can “spread exposure to any toxic substance” such as pesticides or heavy metals – which can Disturb to sleep-and guarantees many polyphenols and micronutrients that support to sleep in part by reducing inflammation. Jansen found that when women increased their daily fruit and vegetable consumption by three servings, they dramatically increased improved sleep quality and insomnia symptoms.
Try other “superfood” approaches to sleep
While the Mediterranean diet is supported by most research, other approaches may be equally beneficial if they offer the same nutrients and compounds that promote sleep. Look for diets high in vegetables, low-sugar fruits, plant-based proteins, and unsaturated fats. “Such patterns probably influence sleep in the same way” as the Mediterranean approach, says St-Onge.
These strategies include the USDA Healthy Eating Index and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet. Arab didn’t find a strong link between DASH and fewer insomnia symptoms, but some other research suggests it’s helpful. The Chinese Healthy Eating Index, another eating pattern with many ingredients that support sleep, is also associate with a good sleep.
Some effects differ between individuals, so connect and use items to find what improves your sleep, even if they are not the basis of a specific diet. One line of research points Montmorency cherry juice, for example. It’s full of melatonin, as are kiwifruit, nutritional yeast, pumpkin seeds, edamame, tofu, and dairy.
Many fiber-rich ingredients can also be found outside of the Mediterranean diet. These sleep-promoting foods include black beans, peas, sweet potatoes, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.
Start eating early, stop eating early
Like most things in life, timing is important. Research shows that eating meals too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep. It is important to finish eating for the day a few hours before bed.
This final meal can include a plant-based protein, like tofu—which is filling, contains tryptophan, and keeps inflammation down—and a healthy carbohydrate, like chickpeas, to support the passage of tryptophan to the brain. Right time 2-4 hours before bedtime; This is how long it takes for tryptophan levels in the body to peak.
Heavy foods or foods with lots of sugar or spices, when consumed before bed, are more likely to cause bloating, blood sugar spikes, and a tossing and turning night, says Jansen.
Sleep is also disturbed at the other extreme: feeling very hungry at bedtime. To avoid this scenario, start with nutrition in the morning. “Everywhere we look, people who eat breakfast sleep better,” says St-Onge. Keep the same time every day as much as possible, adds Jansen. “Maintaining a consistent pattern is very important for sleep.”
Try the Liquid Gap
There is an exception to the rule of stopping feeding several hours before bedtime. Pouring through that gap could be some of your favorite liquids. Research is not conclusive, but a variety of teas, such as chamomile It is lemongrass, have relaxing compounds that appear to improve sleep, at least for some “super responders,” says St-Onge. Skimmed milk, rich in tryptophan, can also help. “There’s no harm in trying them” about an hour before bed; they are absorbed more quickly than food.
Melatonin supplements are another matter. While these pills can help with occasional bouts of insomnia or jet lag, even small doses “go beyond what is needed for sleep,” an excess that can cause health problems with regular use, Jansen explains.
Feed your gut bugs
Food affects the bacteria in your digestive tract, known as the microbiome, and the right bacteria can help reduce inflammation. In theory, “if we can improve our microbiota, it could reduce inflammation in the body and lead to better sleep,” says Arab.
Some initial research suggests that certain gut bacteria play a role in converting tryptophan into sleep hormones. A to study in 2022, found that rats given prebiotics had faster eye movements and other relaxing forms of sleep. According to a recent research reviewconsuming prebiotics and probiotics improves sleep quality in humans.
Instead of probiotic supplements, though, eating yogurt, kimchi, and other fermented foods will support the microbiome as part of a natural, healthy diet. More research is needed on “sleep biotics,” whether pills or foods, to know their effect on sleep, Jansen says.
Be consistent
People who regularly follow these eating patterns have better sleep results than those who just practice them, several studies show. Whatever sleep-promoting diet you choose, stick to it. To see the biggest sleep improvements, “make sure you eat a healthy diet every day,” says St-Onge. “Wait a week or two” before expecting to see benefits.
Eat a vegetable before breakfast
The relationship between food and sleep goes both ways. Just as a healthy diet with sleep-promoting compounds leads to better sleep, better sleep leads to healthier food choices. Likewise, less sleep alters hunger hormones for worse decisions. “After poor sleep, you must be extra vigilant about eating a healthy diet to get back on track,” says St-Onge.
Jansen is a good example. With her one-year-old son interrupting her sleep, “I keep in mind that since I’ve been up all night, I’m going to crave more energy-dense foods,” she says. “So I try not to give in to that.”
She also eats a healthy breakfast to “start off with good nutrition.” A related strategy when you are sleep deprived is to start the day with a vegetarian entrée. When people eat a salad or other vegetable before a high-carb breakfast, their appetite and blood sugar tend to be more stable throughout the rest of the day. This could prevent a cycle of several nights of poor sleep and poor nutrition. “You can break the cycle,” says St-Onge.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
