FOODS TO HELP BETTER SLEEP

Lack of sleep is a common complaint; with only one in 10 of us saying we always get a good night's sleep. Sleeplessness not only leaves you feeling exhausted, but can also end up dampening your moods.

Please note the following as a general set of principles if you are seeking to improve energy levels during the day, stimulate sleep in the evening and avoid gaining weight/fat i.e good nutritional advice depends upon your goals. If you are sleeping well and seeking to gain weight then the advice may be different.

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Starchy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and rice help stimulate the production of serotonin. Therefore, it is helpful to plan meals in a way that helps maintain production of serotonin in the evening to help cycles of sleep. Too many starchy carbs, however, can cause energy dips in the day and depending upon your activity levels can also lead to fat levels increasing. So it is helpful to:

  • limit starchy carbohydrates in the daytime

  • eat starchy carbohydrates in the evening

  • eat serotonin-producing foods (see below) throughout the day to ensure there is sufficient serotonin available for sleep cycles

  • eating protein with starchy carbs. Protein can inhibit the effects of carbohydrates stimulating tryptophan production. This can help conserve serotonin.

Many foods contain naturally occurring substances that bring on sleep; namely:

Tryptophan - a sleep enhancing amino acid that helps make serotonin and melatonin.

Melatonin - is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep/wake cycle, an internal pacemaker that controls the timing and our drive for sleep. It causes drowsiness, lowers body temperature, and puts the body into sleep mode.

Serotonin - another "body clock" hormone that sets your sleep - wake cycle.

Magnesium - plays a key role with sleep. Research has shown that even a marginal lack of it can prevent the brain from settling down at night causing insomnia.

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Adding the following foods to your diet may help to increase your chances of a successful night's sleep:

  • Foods rich in vitamin B6: Most fish, especially salmon, halibut and tuna, chickpeas and bananas. Consuming these foods throughout the day can encourage production of melatonin. 

  • Melatonin-rich foods: tart cherry juice

  • Tryptophan-containing foods: walnuts, turkey, chicken, eggs and milk

  • High GI foods: white rice, pasta, bread and cereals. High-GI meals trigger greater amounts of insulin which increases the sleep enhancing amino acid tryptophan and helps to cut the time it takes you to fall asleep. (Please note that this is not a good option for anyone considering weight/fat loss or who may have diabetes)

  • Calcium-rich foods: cheese, yogurt, milk, leafy green vegetables. Calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan found in dairy to manufacture sleep-triggering melatonin. Additionally, calcium helps regulate muscle movements

  • Magnesium-containing foods: almonds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts are rich in magnesium, a mineral needed for quality sleep. When the body’s magnesium levels are too low, it makes it harder to stay asleep

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Top sleep tips

  • Eating a carbohydrate-rich snack, like a few oatcakes or a small bowl of cereal, an hour or so before going to bed stimulates the release of insulin. This helps to clear amino acids that compete with tryptophan from the bloodstream, allowing more of this sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain.

  • A cup of chamomile tea will help you sleep. Drinking this tea is associated with an increase of glycine, a chemical that relaxes nerves and muscles and acts like a mild sedative. Mix in a spoonful of honey, which slightly raises insulin and allows tryptophan to enter the brain more easily, and this could give you a more restful sleep.

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 What to avoid

  • Caffeine - say no to an after-dinner espresso or late-night cuppa. The stimulant effect of caffeine reaches its peak one to four hours after it's consumed, but some people can feel its effects up to 12 hours later. Some over-the-counter cold and headache remedies are also high in caffeine, so make sure you check the packet before taking them.

  • Large late evening meals - this will interfere with sleep as your body is busy digesting. You may also suffer from heartburn or indigestion. Try to eat full meals at least three hours before going to bed.

  • Starchy, fatty, refined sugary foods- you are more likely to feel sluggish and lethargic as these foods place high demands on your digestive processes.

  • Alcohol - although a couple of drinks may help you to drift off to sleep, too much alcohol decreases REM sleep and disrupts the body’s natural rhythms. Alcohol is also dehydrating and can cause blood sugar levels to drop, so you may wake up in the middle of the night or feel very thirsty the next morning.

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