viii This phase of sleep is essential for healing, physical restoration, immunity, and metabolism. In the aforementioned study, researchers found volunteers who ate significantly more sugar spent less time in deep non-REM sleep. Instead of frying food, try steamed, grilled, sautéed, or baked preparation.Įvidence suggests consuming sugar before bed can lead to restless sleep. Where possible, use whole foods in your evening meals, with a balance of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. vii Researchers at Columbia University also revealed that people who eat a diet rich in saturated fat and low in fibre are at a higher risk of experiencing more night-time arousals and lighter sleep. One study discovered that, after eating high-fat foods, participants experienced less REM sleep, vi while another showed it took longer for its participants to reach this stage entirely. This way, you allow more time for digestion before bedtime.Ī number of studies suggest that eating fatty foods - fast food, processed meat, fried food, baked goods, and coconut oil - before bed can interfere with sleep and alter your circadian rhythm. To avoid digestive upset before bed, try to consume spicy food earlier in the day. The resulting pain and discomfort can make it much harder to fall asleep. v Spicy foods also irritate your stomach and can cause heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion. Read this article to find out more about the science behind how alcohol affects sleep.Īccording to an Australian study, the capsaicin in chilli peppers and other spicy food elevates your core body temperature, which needs lowering to fall asleep. Always drink two glasses of water for every beverage to flush out the alcohol and promote quality sleep. Try drinking at the traditional ‘happy hours’ - between 5 and 7 pm - as it takes an hour to process each serving of alcohol. REM sleep is essential for emotional wellbeing, supporting your mood and mental health.Īs such, you should limit yourself to two ‘drinking days’ per week, and be mindful of what time you drink alcohol. Secondly, alcohol blocks your REM sleep iv, the deepest stage of sleep where you dream. As a result, you will wake up without having benefited from a deep sleep. As the sedative properties of alcohol wear off, your body experiences a ‘rebound’ effect, which causes frequent awakenings. Firstly, studies suggest that alcohol fragments your sleep iii. There are two main reasons why you should avoid alcohol before sleep. Dark chocolate and energy drinks also contain varying amounts of caffeine. As an alternative to coffee, try to drink non-caffeinated/herbal teas, and decaffeinated coffee in the afternoon. To improve your sleep hygiene, avoid consuming caffeine after midday. One study found that subjects who were given roughly four cups of coffee, anywhere from 0-6 hours before bed, experienced significant sleep disturbances. To put this into context: if you have a cup of coffee after your evening meal at 7 pm, by 1 am, 50 per cent of the caffeine is still circulating around your brain tissue. In addition, caffeine has an average half-life (the time it takes for half of it to be excreted from your system) of six to seven hours. Your melatonin and serotonin hormones are essential in helping you fall asleep. This is because caffeine increases levels of cortisol, which functions inverse to your sleep hormone, melatonin, needed to sleep. You should aim to eat at least two to three hours before you go to sleep to avoid this, but it’s important to also consider which foods you are eating.Ī psychoactive stimulant, it’s well-known that caffeine disrupts sleep. As a result, you may experience uncomfortable digestion symptoms that can disrupt your sleep, such as constipation, bloating, and acid reflux. Meaning that if you eat too close to your bedtime, your digestive system isn’t best prepared to process it. Like your brain, your digestive system is programmed to rest at night-time. Here, we outline eight foods that can disrupt sleep along with some sleep-healthy suggestions. Nutrition and eating patterns play a crucial role in sleep hygiene, and some of the foods you are eating could be playing a role in keeping you awake at night. As well as affecting cognition, concentration and mental resilience, poor sleep has been linked to chronic illness i and cardiovascular problems. Not getting enough sleep at night can leave you feeling irritable and tired the next day, and if it happens regularly, it can also cause more long-term issues.
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