How eating habits impact sleep

Dr Anuj Choudhary

If we consider that eating and sleeping are the foundations of our entire existence, then eating and sleeping are intertwined. For any productive day, we want a decent night’s sleep and a nutritious meal, indicating that we are somehow dependent on them both and that they are crucial to our ability to be more productive and healthy. Your eating habits might affect how well you sleep. This is due to the fact that while you sleep, your body’s digestion slows by up to 50 per cent. The various nutritional components in food may either promote or inhibit sleep, and the food you consume also serves as significant cues for your internal body clock.

Researchers have discovered that eating a diet high in sugar, saturated fat, and processed carbohydrates can disturb your sleep, whereas eating more plants, fiber, and foods high in unsaturated fat—such as nuts, olive oil, fish, and avocados—has the opposite effect and works to promote restful sleep. There is a wealth of new knowledge about how sleep length and quality affect dietary decisions and intake while you are asleep. These findings imply that variations in the consumption of carbohydrates and fats may have an impact on several aspects of sleep, including slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. The length of sleep and obesity have been linked in studies. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have shown a relationship between sleep quantity and quality and the risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

 

How does food affect your sleep?

The process through which your body supports optimal brain function and upholds your physical well-being happens while you sleep. Additionally, supporting growth and development in kids and teenagers, sleep. You run a higher chance of developing chronic (long-term) health issues if you don’t get enough sleep over time. In order to manage it, specialists advise regular exercise, creating a nightly bedtime ritual, and limiting screen and social media usage. Stress-related insomnia has become more prevalent over time in various age groups. A lot of individuals could be ignoring nutrition, though, which is a significant contributor to bad sleep. An expanding amount of research contends that your dietary choices may influence your sleep patterns and that your dietary choices can influence your sleep. In contrast, eating more vegetables, fiber, and foods high in unsaturated fats—like nuts, olive oil, fish, and avocados—appears to have the opposite impact, supporting good sleep. Researchers found that eating a diet heavy in sugar, saturated fat, and processed carbs might disturb your sleep.

Some points to keep in mind for the mindful sleep

• If you eat just before bed, your digestive system may cause you to toss and turn all through the night.
• As your digestive system becomes more active at night, you should avoid eating large meals since your body won’t have as much time to burn the calories. Even so, if you want to have a substantial lunch, do it in the middle of the day when you will have more time to expend those calories. Food and alcohol are the most common causes of sleep disruption. Although it might make you fall asleep more quickly, alcohol disturbs your sleep after that.
• Foods with acid. Reflux may be brought on by even nutritious foods like peppermint, citrus fruits, dark chocolate, onions, tomatoes, and garlic.
• Limit your intake of coffee, tea, and soda after 2:00 p.m. as they are also a contributing factor.
• Beware of caffeinated foods and beverages, including chocolate, pastries with coffee or chocolate flavoring, soda, and even decaf coffee.
• Foods which are high in fat. These include fried foods, spicy foods, cheese, butter, cheese, fatty meat cuts, and sauces. Reduce your risk of heartburn by avoiding hot foods and sauces.

Conclusion

The conclusion here is that nutrition and sleep are related. A positive cycle where they reinforce one another may be created by improving one and improving the other in turn. Stressing a balanced diet and getting enough sleep is the greatest strategy for maintaining good health. These are two crucial healthy habits that may support one another.

Dr Anuj Choudhary is Founder, Animal Booster Nutrition & Anihac Pharma