Irregular sleep patterns are detrimental to health! Yes, you have probably seen this line many times while scrolling your Facebook or Twitter page. But the harsh fact is, according to CDC , there are 70 million Americans reported who suffer from issues like chronic sleep problems. Moreover, when people are rushing over the solution to this sleep issue, studies have shown that a healthy diet makes you sleep better! Though it’s surprising to many, the groundbreaking part is that your food choices can affect your sleep. After seeing this, you surely searching for food that helps you sleep better, right?
Well, hold on a sec; in this blog, we will discuss what food helps to maintain your sleep hygiene. Moreover, before revealing the food list, let’s discuss what irregular sleep patterns do to your body and how healthy food options make your sleep better??
Effects of Irregular Sleep Patterns
Like choosing healthy foods, maintaining healthy sleep patterns is one of the main challenges in today’s life. The scenario is so severe that 11% cases of Americans had insufficient sleep every night, whereas 70% of adult cases were found who suffer insufficient sleep at least one night a month.
Causes of Poor Sleep
According to a report , it is recommended that each night most adults need to sleep between 7 and 9 hours, and for older adults, it is between 7 and 8 hours.
Reports state that there are many causes of poor sleep, such as:
- Putting unhealthy foods like consuming caffeine, alcohol and sleeping pills.
- Maintaining unhealthy lifestyles like late eating and drinking habits.
- Having stress or doing shift work.
- Suffering from sleeping disorders like insomnia.
Besides conditions like taking other medications or during pregnancy-related conditions, people may suffer sleep problems.
However, one who doesn’t maintain good sleep habits may face slow, foggy, depressed, and low energy throughout the day.
In fact, irregular sleep patterns can affect the entire mechanism of your body, such as:
Weak Immune System
According to a report, it was found that once you sleep, then your body produces antibodies and cytokines that makes your immunity strong against an antigen. So, while you suffer from poor sleep, your immune system may not act this way and can’t act against invaders. Plus, if the situation gets long, then it causes diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
Brain Drains
Like the immune system, poor sleep can also affect your central nervous system. Poor sleep can exhaust your brain and hamper its daily mechanism. Plus, irregular sleep patterns can downregulate your mental abilities and emotional state.
Vulnerable Respiratory and Digestive System
Poor sleep habits also affect the respiratory and digestive systems too. According to a report, sleep deprivation causes respiratory infections and allows your body to release less insulin.
Apart from this, lack of sleep is negatively linked to conditions like blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation, growth hormone production etc.
Food and Sleep
Well, when people are extremely exhausted after seeing a poor sleep score in apple or Fitbit, then one new news blow to all minds is none other than- Food that helps you sleep better!
According to a report, it was found that food that contains hormones like serotonin, a key hormone that contains nutrients like vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, may enhance your sleep.
In addition, maintaining healthy food choices can help you to get good sleep. You can take an example of a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean Diet. In the Mediterranean Diet case, we all know that while following this plant-based diet, you must arrange your grocery list containing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and heart-healthy fats.
It was found that, as the Mediterranean diet contains high fiber food, it can improve the individual’s quality of sleep and sleep efficiency and helps to reduce disturbance of sleep.
Plus, this plant-based diet contains food rich in omega-3 fatty acids, tryptophan, melatonin, magnesium, vitamins B and vitamin D, which promote sleep and act against sleep loss issues.
In addition, a study based on adult women in America reported that those who follow the Mediterranean diet and consume food like fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods rich in protein and unsaturated fats, improve sleep quality and enhance their sleep health.
In fact, the study also shows that people who follow the Mediterranean model type diet have better sleep quality than those who don’t follow it.
Besides that, diets that are rich in Vitamin E, C, and B6, can work against oxidative damage to the body and helps the body to make sleep-inducing hormones like serotonin and melatonin, which are again linked to good sleep quality.
Food that Helps You Sleep
After seeing all these facts, you probably looking for the best possible food that helps you sleep better, right? Well, when it comes to food that helps you sleep, there are plenty of choices are there in Walmart or dollar stores.
Hey, now don’t think that all those processed meat or sugar-savvy drinks or fries or big mac are the food that helps you sleep better!
How about some blueberry muffin cake or Belgian-style waffles? Or fluffy pancakes? But they have lots of sugar that make you gain weight, right? Can you guess what kind of food that helps you sleep better??
Yes, some may think of low-fat or fat-free food, protein drinks, or Flavored yogurts are the food that helps you sleep better.
In fact, your siblings may talk about some energy beverage that can promote healthy sleep, right?
When many of you think that those Flavored yogurts or fat-free foods are the food that helps you sleep better, then sorry to be disappointed!! Cause food that helps you sleep better is one of those we never think of or don’t want to buy from stores!!
Remember we told you earlier about plant-based food that acts against irregular sleep patterns?
Well, the wait is over; here we are going to share the list of food that helps you sleep better:
Green Veggies and Fruit
There is no alternative option to green veggies and fruit because these green veggies and fruit are food that helps you sleep better! Who doesn’t familiar with spinach or swiss chard? These veggies have B vitamins and magnesium.
At the same time, fruits like dried figs, avocados, bananas, cherries and berries contain magnesium and tryptophan and boost melatonin production, which is linked to healthy sleep. In addition, adding cinnamon also show an anti-inflammatory effect and promotes healthy sleep. So why not some Peanut Butter-Banana Cinnamon Toast this morning?
Carbs but Complex
Well, after seeing this name on the list of food that helps you sleep, you may have been shocked! But the reality is complex carbs, such as whole-grain bread, cereals, pasta, crackers and brown rice, boost serotonin release that calms your brain and keeps a healthy sleep cycle. However, don’t think of bread, pasta and sweets such as cookies, cakes, or pastries are the food that helps you sleep!! These simple carbs actually reduce serotonin levels and induce poor sleep.
Besides complex carbs, Lean proteins like low-fat cheese, chicken, turkey and fish are rich in tryptophan, which is also associated with serotonin levels.
Good Fats
Good fats like peanut butter, walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios are the food that helps you sleep! How? These healthy fats actually promote the release of serotonin and manage good sleep patterns. Whereas if you think of French fries and potato chips, then be careful, as these foods links to a lower level of serotonin. In contrast, incorporating walnuts into your diet provides magnesium, prompting healthy sleep!
Plus, adding fatty fish gives you an extra advantage in sleeping. The study found that fatty fish like salmon, trout, albacore tuna, Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, anchovies, or sardines contain vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids that release serotonin and manage a good sleep cycle. So, want to try some garlic butter baked salmon this night??
Healthy Drinks
Moreover, while consuming good fats, healthy drinks like warm milk and herbal tea such as chamomile or peppermint can be the food that helps you sleep! According to a study, Milk comes with tryptophan, calcium, vitamin D, and melatonin. All these are sleep-promoting compounds.
Whereas if you look over herbs like chamomile, a traditional remedy that can work against insomnia.
And if you think that’s all about the food that helps you sleep better, then wait a sec. Besides that, other plant-based foods like beans, peas, and lentils are high in B vitamins, magnesium and isoflavones , which prompt healthy sleep.
In addition, foods like halibut, soybeans, mackerel and sesame seeds are the food that helps you sleep better. Moreover, while consuming, choose fresh or frozen varieties of these fish and aim to have two servings per week. In addition, Brewer’s yeast, Soybeans, tofu or tempeh to your diet, which is a great source of vitamin B and a food that helps you sleep better.
Things Other Than Food
Apart from the food that helps you sleep, there are other healthy options you need to follow to manage a good sleep cycle, such as:
- Do exercise regularly using several home gym equipment.
- Try not to use your mobile during your bedtime.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Consume less caffeine.
- Follow short naps rules.
Besides food that helps you sleep, you can also use supplements like melatonin gummies, or CBD oil, which have shown effectiveness in poor sleep. Moreover, before following or consuming food or other supplements is best to consult with a doctor first so that you can avoid any risks.
FAQs:
Consuming meals before bed good for health?
Well, if you drink or consume any food less than 1 hour before sleeping, then it may cause you awake and linked to chronic insomnia, which ultimately leads to poor sleep hygiene.
After eating how long I need to wait for sleep?
Its best to wait at least three hours after consuming meals to go sleeping. By doing so it allows your body to digest your food properly. Once your food gets digested, there is a less chance that you are not awake at night for unavoidable issues like upset stomach, indigestion, or acid reflux.
Final Thoughts
People mainly prioritize healthy food for maintaining weight or heart health. But consuming healthy food can induce sleep-promoting hormone and helps to maintain sleep hygiene. There are a variety of meals that have been proven to enhance sleep time. We hope this list has given you some ideas on what to eat before bedtime. Remember, it’s important for your brain and body to get the proper amount of restful sleep every night, so be sure not to deprive yourself or your loved ones by skipping out on a good night’s sleep.
