The Foods You Choose Can Impact Your Sleep

A new study suggests that the foods you choose Can Impact your sleep. Find out the connection between eating and sleeping.

• Diet and food intake can affect the quality of your sleep.
• A high-quality diet, including plenty of fiber, protein, vegetables, and fruits, as well as lower levels of saturated fats and refined sugars, is associated with better sleep.
• Beverages containing caffeine or alcohol can have a negative impact on sleep quality.

Many Americans suffer from insomnia or restless sleep. Is our food intake a factor? A new review published in the Journal of the Society of Nutrition and Nutrition studies the effects of different dietary patterns and nutrients on sleep.

Katherine Wilson of BS, one of the study’s researchers, said: “Our study suggests that mimicking the Mediterranean diet may be an effective strategy for improving sleep quality.” “This means consuming primarily complex carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fats, lots of fruits and vegetables, and anti-inflammatory foods that contain antioxidants and omega-3 fats.”

Foods that contain antioxidants include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dark legumes, and teas. Foods that contain omega-3 fats include oily fish such as salmon, trout, and sardines.

About the Review

For the review, the researchers looked at past 20 studies on diet and sleep. This review includes a number of articles studying diet and has been assessed for sleep by activity testing or polysomnography.

The activity detector uses a motion-based wrist monitor to track sleep-wake status and sleep continuity. Polysomnography uses sensors placed on the head to identify different stages of sleep.

Some of the parameters measured include rapid eye movement (REM) or deep sleep; Sleep latency (time required to fall asleep); as well as sleep efficiency (sleep time). Most adult goals include short sleep duration and high sleep efficiency.

The studies included in our review show that, in general, consuming more protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and healthier fats is associated with waking up less at night, sleeping more deeply, and falling asleep shorter.

— Katherine Wilson, BS

“The studies included in our review have shown that, in general, consuming more protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and healthier (such as polyunsaturated fats) fats is associated with less time to wake up at night, more deep sleep, and less time to fall asleep,” Wilson said.

Overall, sleep is an important aspect of our health and deserves further study. Poor sleep can affect work efficiency, attention, and reaction time, and negatively impact physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to cardiometabolic diseases and neurodegenerative diseases.

While many people use medications or sleep aids to promote restful sleep, they often report feeling groggy the next day. If changes in eating habits help sleep without side effects, it is worthwhile to investigate the best dietary patterns and nutrients that can naturally promote sleep.

Nutrients and Sleep

When it comes to carbs, quality is important. Some past studies have shown that high fiber intake is associated with deep sleep, while high sugar intake is associated with mild sleep. This means it’s best to eat more high-fiber carbohydrates, such as whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, and less refined candy, such as sodas, candy, and ice cream.

Protein intake is also associated with sleep quality. A low-protein diet was associated with lower sleep efficiency, while a moderate protein diet was associated with longer periods of RAPID EYE movement sleep.

Both the amount and type of dietary fats affect the quality of sleep. Consuming more fat is associated with shorter sleep times. Overall, the higher the intake of saturated fat, the worse the quality of sleep, while polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fats work better.

Overall, a dietary model similar to that of the Mediterranean diet incorporates the right nutritional balance for better sleep quality.

Why Sleep and Diet Are Connected

According to Wilson, the way our bodies metabolize food affects the brain and our sleep patterns, which makes diet and sleep interconnected.

“The food you eat during the day can affect the quality of your sleep at night, and in general, the healthier your diet, the better you may sleep,” she says.

Why certain foods affect certain aspects of sleep remains unexplored.

“One possible explanation has to do with the amount of melatonin and serotonin in foods, because diets that contain more fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and legumes, which are foods rich in melatonin and serotonin, are often associated with better sleep,” Wilson said.

Wendy Bazilian, owner, dietitian, M.D., and registered dietitian at San Diego Bazilian Health, explains that melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythms, our biological clock.

“It sets the rhythm of our day and night,” Bazilian said. He said: “Blood sugar levels are low in the morning, start to rise in the evening, peak in the middle of the night, and then fall, but lifestyle and dietary factors … It interferes with its production in the body, and as we age, we produce less and less. ”

She recommends eating foods that naturally contain melatonin, such as tart cherries and walnuts.

Drinks That Negatively Affect Sleep

Coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate, and some caffeinated foods all contain caffeine, which has a stimulant effect. It’s nice to wake you up in the morning, but consuming too much caffeine later in the day can damage your sleep.

“Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that boosts energy,” Bazilian said. “It disrupts sleep, especially when ingested within 6 hours before bedtime. For those who are very sensitive to caffeine, they may need to stop drinking coffee earlier, as early as 12 hours ago. Some people are less affected, but if you have sleep disturbances, assess when you consume caffeine day and experiment.” 

While alcohol may make you fall asleep faster, it can disrupt your sleep cycle and cause insomnia after a few hours. Alcohol also reduces melatonin production.

— Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RDN

Bazilian said alcohol may also have a negative impact on sleep.

“While alcohol may make you fall asleep faster, it can disrupt your sleep cycle and cause insomnia after a few hours,” Bazilian said. “Alcohol also reduces melatonin production. If your sleep quality is not good, try to control or not drink alcohol, preferably within three hours before bedtime. ”

Studies have shown that dietary patterns rich in fiber, vegetables, and adequate protein Foods you Choose Can Impact Your sleep quality, while diets rich in sugar and saturated fats have the opposite effect. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol can also have a negative impact on sleep. Work with a registered dietitian to see if your eating habits can negatively impact your sleep. If you’re still battling sleep-related issues, go to a healthcare provider.