4 Awesome Ways Healthy Diet Promotes Sleep
You are what you eat. In addition, you might be able to sleep with what you eat too. A research conducted by Grandner, Jackson, Gerstner, and Knutson show that what you eat is associated with how you sleep. People who consumed the most calories were able to sleep a fewer than five hours a night while those who consumed the least calories slept for nine hours or more.
Is maintaining a healthy diet important to sleep? Here are positive ways diet affects your sleep.
Reduces Time Needed to Fall Sleep
A healthy diet can make you sleep faster. A study entitled High-glycemic-index Carbohydrate Meals Shorten Sleep Onset 1,2,3 showed that eating a carb-rich dinner that includes jasmine rice at least four hours before bedtime can help you sleep faster. The research concluded that the high glycemic index meal triggered a greater insulin response.
The National Sleep Foundation also mentioned that eating food rich in carbohydrates can make it easier for the sleep-inducing amino acid, tryptophan, to reach your brain. Eating the meal at least 4 hours before bedtime also influenced the quality of sleep.
Promotes Better Mood
A lot of herbs are useful in inducing sleep. Chamomile and peppermint in the form of tea improve your mood and helps you fall asleep. A research conducted by Chang and Chen to postpartum women showed that chamomile tea could be a supplementary approach to help alleviate depression and other sleep quality problems.
According to another research conducted by Tufts University scientists, peppermint tea is a digestive aid that may have antiallergenic potential that can help the drinker sleep faster and calmer.
Enhances Sleep Quality
A high fiber and low-fat diet may improve the quality of your sleep.
Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University Medical Center researchers investigated the link between diet and sleep. The study revealed that consuming more fiber may contribute to deeper and better sleep. On the other hand, consuming more saturated fat may cause poor sleep.
Even though the study was conducted on a small sample, it indicates how a healthy diet can be instrumental in enhancing quality and quantity of sleep.
Reduces Sleep Apnea Risks
Maintaining a healthy diet is vital in keeping a normal weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of developing sleep disorders like sleep apnea. As you gain weight, the tissues around your neck thicken, causing breathing problems when you sleep.
Breathing problems can hinder you from getting a good night’s sleep. Once you wake up, you will feel tired and groggy. You can also experience daytime sleepiness.
Maintaining a healthy diet can help improve not only your health but also your sleep and your quality of life. If you have troubles with your sleep or you are experiencing sleep disorders because of your diet, consider talking to a sleep specialist like a dentist to help and guide you.