In this article by Michael Breus, he has a look at the research on how what we eat and when we eat affects the quality of our sleep. You would be surprised at what other negative impacts are associated with this bad habit that is messing with your sleep.
The relationship between sleep and diet is a complicated one. Recent news that fiber, sugar, and fat intake can cause sleep problems adds to a growing body of research connecting the two.
There is so much research on sugar intake and its effects on our bodies, kick those bad sugar habits today.
"In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, researchers found that diets lower in fiber and higher in saturated fats and sugar are linked to less restful, more fragmented sleep with more frequent awakenings throughout the night. These diets also were associated with less time in slow-wave sleep, a highly restorative phase of sleep."
Be sure to replace those bad eating habits, and get back into having a restful nights sleep.
"A vicious circle of sleep-affecting-diet, diet-affecting sleep occurs: Insufficient sleep spurs appetite, in part by altering hormones that regulate feelings of hunger and fullness. Short on sleep, our levels of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin spike, while levels of leptin—a hormone that promotes feelings of fullness—drop."
"As a result, when you're sleep deprived, you tend to consume more calories than your body needs. In addition to spiking overall appetite, insufficient sleep specifically increases your desire for fatty and sugary foods and also reduces your ability to withstand these food cravings (there's a strong scientific connection between insufficient and poor quality sleep and obesity)."
Now is the time to create the correct sleeping habits that will help you, not only with a restful nights sleep but also with that waiste line.
The first step to happier sleep is to recognize that your eating and sleeping routines are inextricably connected. A sleep-friendly diet looks a lot like a healthy diet: full of whole, unprocessed foods, and plentiful in a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and lean proteins. Sleep-promoting foods include those rich in the minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium and the amino acid tryptophan. And, as the recent study indicates, a high-fiber diet that is also low in sugar and saturated fats may protect you from restless sleep.
The bottom line? Eat healthy during the day, and you'll find yourself counting fewer sheep at night.
Make sure that in this process, you are creating and sticking to good habits.
Click here for the full article from Michael Breus
