Sleep eludes you despite your pleas to the sandman? Perhaps then you should take an interest in what’s on your plate and include these foods that are known to help you sleep better and also fall asleep faster.
Sleep better, is the title of a bedside reference published by Julie Wright at Editions Dangles, bringing together her research spanning the fields of humanities, neuroscience, alternative medicine, and food. Because the foods we eat have an overall effect: on our digestion, of course, on our weight, obviously, but also on our health in a broader sense, and also on our sleep.
The American founder of WeSleep, a company committed to providing solutions to people suffering from sleep problems and insomnia, whose motto is “sleep and your dreams will come true”, emphasizes the importance of mastering your diet before bed. Thus, heavy, fatty, sour or spicy foods risk leading to restless sleep, especially since “when we sleep, our digestion slows down, and if we eat more than we can digest, sleep can be disrupted.” But be careful, the author warns Sleep better“Poor nutrition can also lead to poor sleep because we need enough energy to support all the physical, mental, cleansing, growth and repair processes during sleep. Without enough calories, we risk waking up several times before breakfast.”
Products approved by Morpheus
Here’s the basis for quality sleep: a balanced diet. Not too much, not too little, and most importantly, not too rich, but what foods should you choose specifically to help you sleep better? Based on research on this issue, Julie Wright recommends choosing foods rich in tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin. And to clarify, for good sleep it is important to eat at least three of these food categories, especially during dinner:
- Meat: turkey, steak, chicken, lamb
- Seafood and fish: salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut, shrimp, cod.
- Various vegetables: tomatoes, asparagus, cauliflower, cucumbers, onions.
- Green vegetables: broccoli, chard, celery, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, green beans, lettuce, spinach, peas, turnip tops.
- Nuts: almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews.
- Seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax.
- Legumes: lentils, black beans, red beans, chickpeas.
- Dairy products: milk, yogurt, cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Cereals: oats, brown rice, quinoa, wheat.
- Carbs: Potatoes with skin, sweet potatoes, pasta, whole wheat pasta.
- Bread: rye or whole grain
- Fruits: bananas, kiwi, dates, apricots.
“To sleep well, it is important to have stable blood sugar levels and avoid fluctuations in insulin and energy. High blood sugar causes insulin levels to spike, which in turn causes your blood sugar to drop, causing a strong release of cortisol, which encourages you to eat more sugary foods. This vicious cycle of reactive hypoglycemia is often caused by a lack of protein, fiber and healthy fats, as well as excess sugar and/or fast-releasing carbohydrates, which cause biological stress that can lead to insomnia. Stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol can then increase, making it difficult to fall or stay asleep and you wake up early in the morning with your heart racing,” warns Julie Wright. Warning: “too much protein will cause the brain to produce dopamine, which is a stimulant hormone rather than a relaxing one.”
Eat better = sleep better?
Want to balance your blood sugar so you can sleep better? Our specialist recommends eating small and often, with snacks “mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and before bed to avoid cravings and hormonal surges and stress,” as well as avoiding sugary drinks and foods and having your last snack 30 minutes before bed. “Light, it should combine proteins, complex carbohydrates, as well as tryptophan and magnesium. For example, a bowl of fortified cereal and milk, a light turkey sandwich, toast with butternut puree, oatmeal crackers with cheese, or a handful of nuts and dried fruit.”
And Julie Wright stresses the importance of a good diet, as well as good hydration, pointing out that dehydration can cause headaches, which can disrupt sleep. However, be careful not to stop drinking 1.5 to 2 hours before bed to avoid “nighttime toilet trips that disrupt sleep.” As for alcohol, she recommends stopping drinking it 5 hours before bedtime. Do you want a drink that isn’t just a glass of water, but that doesn’t stop you from falling into the arms of Morpheus, quite the contrary? The American recommends… Banana tea. Contains potassium and magnesium, two sleep-promoting factors that encourage his followers to “buy raw bananas and boil them unpeeled before drinking this water with a little cinnamon.” A recipe that will make you wonder if it will put boiled bananas to sleep!
Also read:
– How sleeping on the weekend weighs you down for the rest of the week
– Does everyone have their own duvet, the perfect solution for sweet nights together?
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