Eat right, sleep well.
Eat right, sleep well. Few things make us feel as good as waking up – rested and energized after a great night’s sleep.
But for many of us, this is difficult to achieve.
Many factors can affect the quality of sleep, but let’s look at the role of food choices made during the day. Your eating habits can affect the quality and duration of sleep (proven by preliminary research). And it can become a vicious cycle: When you don’t sleep well at night, the high-calorie foods you reach for the next day to keep you going can be the very same foods that sabotage your rest (most commonly caffeine and high-fat snacks). [1]
Sound familiar?
Well, when it comes to improving your sleep, there are many important factors, including good nutrition and eating habits. Here are our top tips for eating right to sleep soundly:
- Control your dinner portions. Going to bed with a very full stomach can lead to discomfort and sleep-disrupting indigestion. Eat slowly and stop just before you are completely hungry.
- Don’t go overboard on calories and fat at dinner. Aim for a balanced diet including healthy sources of carbohydrates – vegetables, whole grains and beans. Limit fruits if possible.
- Watch out for caffeine and alcohol intake, which can disrupt normal sleep patterns and lead to those unpleasant moments of waking in the middle of the night. [2]
- Do most of your hydration earlier in the day. A full bladder can prevent a good night’s sleep, so be sure to reduce your fluid intake in the evening and at night.
Try these simple tips and it can change your sleep.
Sweet dreams!
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[1] St-Onge MP, Mikic A, Pietrolungo CE. Effects of Diet on Sleep Quality. Adv Nutr. 2016 Sep 15;7(5):938-49.
[2] He S, Hasler BP, Chakravorty S. Alcohol and sleep-related problems. Curr Opin Psychol. 2019 Dec;30:117-122.
Clark I, Landolt HP. Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials. Sleep Med Rev. 2017 Feb;31:70-78.
