Even one night of tossing and turning can disrupt your week, leaving you exhausted, overwhelmed, and easily irritated. When poor sleep becomes more consistent, you face many risks for different health conditions. Sleep is critical for our body to function properly and for health down the road. Everything from sleep hygiene to your diet impacts your sleep. But if you are struggling with sleep or feeling tired and exhausted every day, you also may need change your meal timing.
Sleep over Food
Your body is run by a circadian rhythm which manages all sorts of bodily processes, allowing you to fast while you sleep, triggering hunger during the day, and cuing sleepiness when your body once again needs rest. Research shows that eating patterns affect your circadian rhythms. When and what you eat has a serious impact on your sleep. In turn, your sleep affects your feelings of fullness, leading to a close link between sleep issues and obesity. Poor eating habits often bring poor sleep, and insomnia often results in eating too much or eating more junk food. Sleep quality and eating patterns go hand in hand.
Sleep aid food
The foods that you eat can impact your sleep. Too much sugary foods and drinks coupled with fatty foods leads to poor sleep. A significant amount of research has shown the importance of a high-quality diet for your sleep. Getting enough vitamins and eating less fat and sugar can improve your sleep significantly. Foods high in magnesium and tryptophan are particularly helpful in sleep quality. However, eating right is not the only thing you must check to sleep better.
Why do I Fall Asleep After Eating?
The timing of your meals can affect your sleep. A study on intermittent fasting revealed that a majority of participants snack throughout the day, eating more than 3 meals a day. Half of participants ate during an eating window of more than 15 hours per day, eating a snack less than 2 hours before going to bed. However, by changing to a time-restricted diet, participants got better, longer sleep. Resisting late night snacks helped improve sleep quality.
Other studies on meal timing and sleep have found that eating less than an hour before going to bed can disrupt your sleep. More people woke up during the night, were not able to sleep as long, or took longer to fall asleep after eating close to bedtime. Sleep is a time when the body repairs and replaces cells. It is a restorative time for your body, important for your brain, your immune system, your heart, your gut, and so on. Asking your body to digest during sleep seems to interfere with your body’s natural rhythm of rest and repair.
Furthermore, eating at different times each day may also throw off your sleep. Inconsistent eating patterns negatively impacted sleep, according to several studies. Constant changes to your eating habits keep your circadian rhythm out of whack.
Eating breakfast or choosing to forego the first meal of the day can also impact your sleep. It’s all about the circadian rhythm, and skipping a meal can push your eating and sleeping cues later. More people who skip breakfast also eat their final meal later, affecting their sleep quality.
The next time that you feel the urge to scoop a bowl of ice cream late at night, remember that this treat might keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. Consider cutting off your snacks at least two hours before bed. Sleep is important, and when you eat can help give you a better chance of the quality rest your need.
References:
https://alternativemedicine.com/sleep/#Dietandsleepissues
http://www.seu-roma.it/riviste/annali_igiene/open_access/articoli/30-06-03-Gianfredi.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388543/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8131073/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7215804/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/does-the-time-of-day-you-eat-matter
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