Take Your Last Meal Of The Day At Least 2 Hours Before Going To Bed
While it is true that our sleep quality can be affected by what we eat, the time we eat also has an impact on our 24-hour rhythm activity (circadian rhythm). To keep the body in sync with its surroundings, the brain takes signals from the outside world, according to Sophie Bostock PhD, also popularly known as The Sleep Scientist, in an interview published on Well+Good.
Instead of telling the body to rest, the brain tells the body to get to the work of digesting food, when we eat too close to bedtime. Your body will be busy digesting food, instead of winding down when you eat too close to bedtime, simply because it doesn’t know any better. Invest in the best mattress from Slumber Search to aid a restful sleep routine.
Follow A Consistent Meal Timetable
In the same breath, taking your meals at the same time every day can also help you get better sleep, in addition to giving your body enough time to digest the food you eat.
Since you are working with the circadian rhythm by maintaining a regular bedtime, and taking your meals, including dinner, lunch and breakfast at roughly the same time each day, you will be able to match the body’s need for consistency and also minimize the risk of suffering from a variety of chronic health issues.
Adopt A Sleep Friendly Diet
It can be worthwhile for you to add sleep friendly foods into your diet, if you really want to enhance the quality of your sleep. Fortunately, there is a long list of options to choose from – you can mix things up to avoid getting bored. To leave you feeling even more relaxed and sleepy after eating, consider adding foods like spinach, salmon, edamame and other tryptophan rich foods to your meals.
You can opt for pistachios, which are packed with melatonin, if you are not into walnuts.
If You Have To, Snack On Something Healthy In The Middle Of The Night
There will be days when you wake up in the middle of the night, feeling hungry, regardless of whether you eat your meals at the same time each day – like when you have a demanding workout. So long as you don’t go for an unhealthy snack that will mess with your sleep or be difficult to digest (such as sugar), Registered Dieticians encourage you to go for a healthy midnight snack instead of waiting until morning.
You should also try to steer clear of caffeinated beverages, alcohol and any other drinks that might have you making frequent trips to the bathroom all night. Some top choices include banana with peanut butter, kiwi, cottage cheese, pumpkin seeds, and tart cherries, according to Registered Dieticians. Keeping the snack as light as possible is essential. According to these nutritional specialists, you can also soothe yourself back to sleep with a cup of chamomile tea or warm glass of milk if you feel thirsty.
