Diet Tips to Improve Sleep

Improving your sleep through your diet? Yes, it is possible, what you eat can affect how you sleep. Studies revealed that adding foods that aid rest and eliminating those that interfere with sleep can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life, especially when combined improve sleep habits. Read on some simple tips that help you sleep better and be more energetic and productive during the day. Dietary changes are not a cure, but a good diet will improve overall health by helping a person sleeps better. Keep reading to check some natural sleep enhancers you can do to get quality sleep.

How to get a better night sleep?

Having an adequate amount of sleep will directly affect the impact on mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can take a toll on your daytime energy, productivity, emotional balance, and even your physical health. Yet many of us don’t get an adequate amount of sleep because of our busy lives. While some regularly toss and turn at night, struggling to get the shut-eye they need.

Unhealthy habits and lifestyle choices can leave your turning at night and adversely affect your brain, heart, body appearance, and immune system. By experimenting with your lifestyle choices, you can enjoy better sleep at night, and boost your overall health. We need to understand the fact that if one part of the body system suffers, we are likely to see consequences in other areas of our life.

Though the sleeping pattern is extremely important to get quality sleep, it is also important to know that diet and exercise are critical components of a healthy lifestyle that leads to getting the quality shut-eye that many of us are looking for. This component actually works as the natural sleep enhancers.

Avoid big meals at night- Give preference to lighter evening meal concept. Eat a filling breakfast that comprises of a variety of food groups including protein, grains, and fruits, lunch with smaller servings of proteins and grains, and a dinner that should be consumed at least two hours before bed. Those who eat a lighter meal at night are less likely to have problems associated with indigestion and gastro reflux. When you eat a heavy meal at night, your system needs to work harder to digest the food. The harder your body is working at digesting food the less restful you will be going to feel. Some people skip midday meals and prefer overcompensating with larger suppers which can interfere with your sleep patterns and hormones.

    1. Give preference to earlier evening meals- Eat your dinner or last meal of the day in the evening before 8 pm or preferably before 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. Those who eat later are believed to consume more calories as compared to those who eat earlier. Eating earlier in the evening might help some people with weight loss goals.
    2. Don’t starve yourself- Very low-calorie diet can make you hungry which leads to irritability. Not getting enough calories may make you deficient in many essential vitamins and minerals required to restore sleep like iron and folic acid or iron. A well-balanced diet with vitamin-rich foods is necessary for getting quality sleep.
    3. Cut back on saturated fats and sugary foods- A diet high in saturated fats and sugary fruits could take a toll on your shuteye by decreasing the amount of sleep that you get during the night. Also, eating too many sugary foods could result in sleep disturbance. A well-balanced diet that is high in fiber and low in added sugars could help you to fall asleep faster.
    4. Avoid alcohol before bed– skip your night drink. Even though it may help you to fall asleep. This is because the effects of alcohol wear off a few hours later and after that, you will have more difficulty staying asleep. According to research studies, drinking alcohol affects REM sleep and cause restlessness. Alcohol may cause dehydration and this effect may cause you to wake up in the midnight to drink water and make it difficult to fall back asleep. So avoid alcohol before sleep as it may interfere with your sleep cycle one’s you are out.
    5. Avoid complex carbs– Skip refined pasta, baked goods, white bread, and sugary cookies as these food items may reduce serotonin levels and impair sleep pattern. Instead choose whole grains snack for your bedtime such as oatmeal, whole wheat crackers, popcorn, nut butter, etc.
    6. Limit caffeine and nicotine– You might not know that caffeine can cause sleep issues up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it. The same way smoking is another stimulant that can disrupt sleep pattern especially if you smoke before bedtime.

Getting the proper amount of sleep each night is necessary to do best every day. Sleep will help you on the road to good health and an active mind. Healthy eating leads to good sound sleep.

Also Read: 9 Tricks for Those Who Have Trouble Sleeping