Sleep and Nutrition -how are they related

Sleep and Nutrition -how are they related

Getting good sleep is incredibly important for the overall health of an individual. It may reduce the risk of developing various chronic diseases, keep the brain healthy, and boost the immune system. It’s recommended to get between 7 and 9 hours of undisturbed sleep each night, though many people struggle to get enough.

It’s not unknown that both sleep and nutrition play a critical role in our health, but the complex and important relationships between them are frequently neglected. Diet and nutrition can affect the quality of your sleep, and certain foods and drinks can make it easy or difficult to get the sleep that you need. Getting adequate sleep is linked with maintaining healthier body weight and can be advantageous for people who are trying to lose weight. Acknowledging the connection between sleep and nutrition creates opportunities to optimize both in order to eat smarter, sleep better, and live a healthier life.

An improper or little amount of sleep has an adverse effect on the body weight of an individual and leads to weight gain and eventually obesity. People who don’t get sufficient sleep are more likely to increase their consumption of food without an equivalent increase in the expenditure of energy. Sleep deprivation also appears to provoke a tendency to select high-calorie foods that offer less nutritional benefit and create a greater risk of weight gain.

Many people are not aware of the fact that their diet can also affect sleep as both sleep and nutrition involve multiple interconnected systems of the body. There is evidence indicating that sufficient nutrient consumption is important for sleep. Lack of vital nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, D, E, and K are related to sleep problems. Diet is said to affect the hormonal pathways involved in sleep.

The Mediterranean Diet, which is plant-based while incorporating lean meats and high-fiber foods, and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, or DASH diet which involves reduced salt and saturated fats along with a focus on whole foods with high levels of fiber, potassium, and magnesium, tend to report better sleep.

Our sleep cycle is regulated by the Circadian Rhythm, the internal clock that commands our body when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to be awake. There are certain nutrients you require to improve your sleep; they include:

Melatonin:

Melatonin is the chief factor affecting your sleep. Our circadian rhythm is regulated by the hormone melatonin, which is produced in the brain. Melatonin is present in many types of foods including pistachios, walnuts, tart cherries, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes, bell peppers and corn etc.

Tryptophan:

Tryptophan is an essential dietary amino acid that the body uses to produce serotonin, a chemical that helps to regulate sleep, and melatonin thus enhancing the sleep quality when included in the diet. It is found in protein foods and is most easily absorbed by the body when eaten with carbohydrates. Nuts and seeds like sunflower, chia, sesame and pumpkin, contain significant amounts of this nutrient. Cheese, tofu, red meat, poultry, eggs, beans and oats are also good sources of tryptophan.

B Complex Vitamins:

The body requires a variety of nutrients to produce melatonin, including adequate B complex vitamins. It is recommended to consume B complex vitamins through the diet rather than through supplements. Adequate amounts of B vitamins are available in foods like leafy greens, eggs, dairy, beans, poultry, meat and salmon.

Omega-3, Vitamin D:

A combination of omega-3s and vitamin D from fatty fish like salmon helps to improve sleep. As they have a role to play in the regulation of serotonin. Flaxseed and chia seeds are other significant sources of omega-3, while egg yolks, mushrooms and fortified dairy contain vitamin D.

Magnesium:

Magnesium is a featured nutrient; it was found in one of the studies that giving a supplement to elderly patients improved the symptoms of insomnia and sleep quality. Nuts, beans, seeds, tofu, bananas and whole grains are all good sources of magnesium.

A balanced diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein on a daily basis can help you get a better night’s sleep. Try to replace processed foods with whole foods to make sure you are giving your body what it demands.

Certain foods impair sleep while several others help to induce sleep thus improving both quality and quantity of sleep.

It was found that almonds help to boost sleep quality. This is because almonds, along with several other types of nuts, are a source of the hormone melatonin. It is also a significant source of magnesium. Consuming adequate amounts of magnesium may help improve sleep quality, especially for those who have insomnia.

Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases the production of melatonin. Consuming moderate amounts of protein before bed is linked with better sleep quality, including less waking up throughout the night.

Chamomile tea contains antioxidants that may induce sleep and drinking it has been shown to improve the overall sleep quality.

Kiwis are one of the best foods to eat before bed. The sleep-promoting effects of kiwi are due to serotonin. Serotonin helps regulate your sleep cycle. Anti-inflammatory antioxidants in kiwis, such as vitamin C and carotenoids, may be partly responsible for their sleep- promoting effects.

Walnuts improve sleep quality, as they’re one of the best food sources of melatonin.

Eating less fiber, more saturated fat and more sugar throughout the day is linked with getting lighter, less restorative sleep, with more awakenings throughout the night. Snacking on spicy food before going to bed also interferes with your sound sleep.

Caffeine blocks the production of the chemicals in the brain that tell our bodies to sleep and makes us feel more alert — by increasing adrenaline. The stimulant affects everyone’s bodies differently. That’s the reason some people can handle two Cokes with dinner and fall right asleep, while others can’t handle more than one morning coffee. It’s important to note that caffeine can stay in the bloodstream for up to six hours after you consume it, which is why nearly every sleep guideline you read suggests limiting caffeine in the afternoon and evening hours.

                                            

Eating food right before bedtime reduces the induction of sleep as the body engages in the processes of digestion and absorption. Therefore, eating a light snack an hour before sleep would be a better option.

It’s important for people to know that both what you eat, as well as the timing of when you eat, matter when it comes to sleep and long-term health outcomes. Making good nutrient choices will optimize the circadian alignment between our clocks.

blog article by Zoha