The Better Sleep Diet: What to Eat to Improve Your Quality of Sleep
What would you think if someone told you that you could improve your quality of sleep in a matter of days? You might think that this person had discovered some new drug or therapy, but you would be wrong. In many cases, the best thing you can do to improve your quality of sleep is make a few simple changes to your diet. The food you put into your body has a direct result on your health, your weight loss efforts, and your sleep. The two are also conversely related – when you sleep well, you feel well and may have an easier time losing weight. Dietary Tips to Improve Your Quality of Sleep One of the most reliable ways to improve your quality of sleep is to improve your diet – when you are eating well, you will feel well and sleep well.
Here's a collection of tips for improving your diet to improve your quality of sleep:
- Don’t skip meals – It may be tempting to skip breakfast to save calories or to skimp at lunch, but big ups and downs in your calorie intake can wreak havoc on your body’s natural sleep patterns. Try to eat small meals throughout the day.
- Avoid eating large, late dinners – When you eat a large meal right before bed, it causes an increase of blood flow to your digestive tract. This causes your stomach to produce more gastric acid and it makes your intestinal muscles work harder. All of these things have a stimulatory effect when your body should be slowing down for sleep.
- Avoid high-fat and spicy foods – Foods that are spicy or high in fat can trigger indigestion and reflux, which may affect your ability to fall asleep.
- Get your vitamins and minerals – Nutritional deficiencies can cause a number of sleep-preventing symptoms. Iron deficiency, for example, may cause restless leg syndrome, and folic acid deficiency has been linked to insomnia.
- Don’t over-caffeinate – Having a cup of coffee or tea once in a while won’t do you any harm, but if you drink too much caffeine or enjoy it too close to bedtime, it could keep you up at night. If you want a warm drink in the evening, try chamomile tea or another herbal tea that doesn’t have caffeine.
- Go lean – Rather than chowing down on high-fat foods, try to balance your diet with lean proteins, fresh fruits and veggies, and whole grains. When you eat better, your body will work better and you’ll find that sleep comes easier as well.
- Get some exercise – Nothing guarantees a good night sleep like working up a good sweat during the day. Several studies have shown the benefits of exercise for individuals with insomnia.
