| Sleep
and Diet: Eating to Sleep Well
from -Reader's
Digest.com
Do you dream of a good night's sleep? Try our tips tonight and
learn how your diet may affect your sleep patterns.
What Makes Us Sleep
This is still not fully understood, but scientists know that a
person's circadian rhythm is established shortly after birth and
is then maintained as a "body clock." Some natural chemicals
in the body enhance sleep, and diet plays a part. Here are some
things that are known to affect sleep:
Eating too much or too little can disrupt sleep. A light snack
at bedtime can promote sleep, but too much food can cause digestive
discomfort that leads to wakefulness.
Alcohol is a double-edged sword. Small amounts
of alcohol can help you fall asleep. However, as the body metabolizes
the alcohol, sleep may become fragmented. Alcohol can worsen insomnia
and also impair rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the time when
the body is in its restorative phase. It can also dehydrate you,
leaving you tired the next day.
Caffeine can disturb sleep. Any food or beverage
that contains caffeine can disturb sleep, although this is not
true for everyone. Research has shown that older adults who suffer
from insomnia report higher caffeine intakes. If you are sensitive
to caffeine, avoid it in the afternoon and evening.
Forget the fat. If you consume a high-fat meal
in the evening or eat foods that you have found cause you indigestion
and heartburn, your sleep can be disturbed and restless.
Do not eat late at night. People who suffer from
heartburn or acid reflux should avoid late, heavy meals that delay
the emptying of the stomach. Lying down with a full stomach puts
you at a gravitational disadvantage, encouraging acids and gastric
juices to flow up into the esophagus, causing uncomfortable heartburn
that will make sleep more challenging.
Drinking fluids too close to bedtime can cause
problems. Avoid fluids after dinner to reduce the need to go to
the bathroom during the night.
Milk and honey promote sleep. Milk contains tryptophan,
an essential amino acid that is among the natural dietary sleep
inducers. Tryptophan works by increasing the amount of serotonin,
a natural sedative, in the brain. This is why so many folk remedies
include warm milk with a teaspoonful of honey, a simple sugar.
(Carbohydrates facilitate the entry of tryptophan into the brain.)
A turkey sandwich provides another sleep-inducing combination
of tryptophan and carbohydrates. A banana with milk gives you
vitamin B6, which helps convert tryptophan to serotonin.
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