Is your diet messing with your sleep?

​There are so many things that can disrupt your sleep — from stress about work deadlines to the temperature of the room —you find yourself tossing and turning after a late night with friends or an indulgent meal at home, you may need to reevaluate your eating habits. Read on for what to avoid and then some suggested foods to try for better sleep.


​TIMING
Eating too close to bedtime can be especially problematic if you're prone to heartburn. Laying horizontally after a meal can allow stomach acid to travel back up the esophagus, leading to a bitter taste in the mouth or burning in the chest.

TYPES OF FOOD
Spicy and acidic foods like tomatoes, tomato sauce, and citrus fruits may be problematic, and chocolate may also worsen reflux. Also, foods and beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and soda, should be avoided as well. Caffeine blocks a chemical that helps make you sleepy, and it's also a diuretic, which can cause you to make a trip to the bathroom during the night. Try cutting yourself off from caffeine before lunchtime.

AMOUNT
Eating a large meal right before bedtime can also affect your ability to sleep. If your stomach feels overly full and you can feel the contents churning, this can cause discomfort and prevent you from falling asleep. A high-protein or high-fat meal is more difficult to digest and should be avoided before bed.
So what should you eat if you’re hungry and can’t sleep? Melatonin! Melatonin is the chemical that makes us sleepy at night. Light — either from the sun or the blue light from your laptop — suppresses melatonin. That means you should power down your devices in the evening, but supplementing with melatonin can also help improve sleep and combat insomnia. That said, taking it in the over-the-counter form you find in pharmacies may not be safe, particularly over the long-term. Instead, try one of these melatonin-packed foods:

1. Turkey: Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. The protein in turkey may also contribute to its ability to promote tiredness. There is evidence that consuming moderate amounts of protein before bed is associated with better sleep quality, including less waking up throughout the night.
2. Walnuts: In addition to having high levels of tryptophan (an amino acid that aids in melatonin production), walnuts also have a unique form of melatonin in high levels.
3. Tart cherries: Tart cherries have been shown to produce a surge in melatonin that can be helpful with sleep initiation. A 2017 pilot study found that those who drank one cup of tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks increased sleep time by 84 minutes compared to those in the placebo group.
4. Almonds: Almonds are also an excellent source of magnesium, providing 19% of your daily needs in only 1 ounce. Consuming adequate amounts of magnesium may help improve sleep quality, especially for those who have insomnia. Magnesium’s role in promoting sleep is thought to be due to its ability to reduce inflammation. Additionally, it may help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is known to interrupt sleep.
5. Chamomile: chamomile tea contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to certain receptors in your brain that may promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia. One study in 34 adults found those who consumed 270mg of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days fell asleep 15 minutes faster and experienced less nighttime wakening, compared to those who did not consume it.
6. Kiwis: The fuzzy fruit can seriously help you fall asleep. In a small study, people who ate two kiwis an hour before bed for four weeks decreased the amount of time it took for them to fall asleep by 35%.
7. Passionflower: There is also some evidence that drinking passionflower tea increases the production of GABA, a brain chemical that works to inhibit other brain chemicals that induce stress, such as glutamate. In a seven-day study, 41 adults drank a cup of passionflower tea before bed. They rated their sleep quality significantly better when they drank the tea, compared to when they did not drink the tea.

BOTTOM LINE
Sleep is both one of the easiest activities and potentially frustrating things our bodies do. Research is still unclear on so many aspects of our sleep. Everybody sleeps differently. With time focusing on your body and brain connection, you will learn what works for your body. 

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