Improving the quality of sleep: what to avoid (2023)

You may have heard that certain nutrients can interfere with sleep. But does this mean that food and drink directly affect the ability to sleep?

With a background in nutrition and dietetics, I can tell you exactly which foods and nutrients research has shown can disrupt sleep.

Foods that lead to poor sleep are usually high in sugar and/or fat, such as sweets, smoothies and soft drinks, full-fat dairy products, fried foods, cheese and cold cuts, and spicy foods. Caffeine, whether in food or drink, and alcohol can also interfere with sleep, depending on the amount consumed.

Knowing which foods and drinks negatively affect sleep is important because it will help you make more informed choices when it comes to getting a good night's sleep.

• The relationship between diet and sleep regulation is complex, as many nutrients and hormones are involved in the sleep-wake cycle and fasting cycle.
• There isn't a single food that gets in the way of sleep. Rather, it is the cumulative effect of your eating habits, which may include heavy meals before bed (high in fat and sugar and low in fiber and complex carbohydrates).
• Research suggests that kiwifruit, cherry juice, walnuts and salmon are among the foods that promote sleep because they contain nutrients that interact with sleep metabolism.

Diet and sleep are closely linked. This is because the ingredients in certain foods and drinks can affect hormones and neurotransmitters involved in sleep regulation.

Sleep is regulated by a complex interplay of hormones and neurotransmitters, including serotonin, melatonin and cortisol. They all help regulate the so-calledam-eve cycle.

Serotonin regulates mood and is essential for melatonin production. Melatonin (sleep hormone) helps you relax and fall asleep, while cortisol (stress hormone) promotes alertness and alertness throughout the day, helping you wake up and feel awake.

Low levels of serotonin can lead to moodiness, which in turn affects melatonin production. consequently ifMelatoninEcortisolout of balance, they can cause sleeplessness and sleeplessness.

In addition to melatonin, cortisol and serotonin, other hormones such as insulin, leptin and ghrelin can also disrupt sleep.

Insulin helps regulate blood sugar levels, while leptin and ghrelin (hunger/satiety hormones) help regulate appetite. When blood sugar is unstable andleptinand ghrelin out of balance, they can lead to sleep disorders and insomnia.

Ultimately, what you eat affects your hormones and can disrupt your sleep patterns, which in turn can affect food choices and eating habits.

For example, if you're not getting enough sleep, you're more likely to do this.desire for more foodand decide forhigh calorie foods.

Caffeine is a stimulant that makes you more alert and alert.

May affect sleep quality if taken more than you tolerate, or if taken later in the day or before bedtime (within 6 hours of bedtime).

According toUS Food and Drug AdministrationRecommendations The safe amount of caffeine is 400 mg per day.

Here are some examples of caffeinated foods and beverages, taken from theUS Department of Agriculture Food Data Center:

• Coffee: 240 ml of coffee contains about 80-100 mg of caffeine. So if you normally drink 4 cups of brewed coffee a day, that's your caffeine limit.
  
• Tea: An 8-ounce cup of green or black tea contains 30-50 mg (herbal teas do not contain caffeine).
  
• Chocolate: A 28 gram serving contains around 9-12 mg of caffeine, which means that a 100 gram bar of chocolate contains around 30-40 mg.
• Coffee flavored ice cream: ranges from 30 to 70 mg per 240 ml. For example, Ben & Jerry's coffee ice cream contains 70 mg, while Häagen-Daz contains 30 mg.
  
• Energy drinks: Caffeine can range from 40 to 250 mg in energy drinks. For example, a 250ml can of Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine and a 473ml can of Monster contains 160mg.
  
• Sodas: A 360ml bottle typically contains 30-40mg of caffeine. This includes diet sodas as well as whole sugar like diet Pepsi and Pepsi-Cola.
  
• Pre-workout supplements:A pre-workout serving contains between 200 and 420 mg of caffeine, which means it's pretty easy to crack the lid if you eat other caffeinated foods during the day.

tyramineis an amino acid (protein) that promotes the production of stimulants (norepinephrine, adrenaline). It is produced in the body, but it is also found in various foods. High levels in the body are associated with itmigraineEinsomnia.

Tyramine is mostly found in aged and fermented foods and beverages (products with a longer shelf life with added preservatives and salt). consider this6 mg of tyraminein any portion of 30g of food is considered high.

Here is a list of tyramine-rich foods:

• Aged cheeses: blue cheeses (Camembert, Stilton and Gorgonzola) and hard cheeses (Cheddar, Parmesan and Emmentaler)
  
• Cured meat/fish products: ham, salami, dry summer sausages, mortadella, beef jerky and preserved or smoked fish
  
• Alcoholic beverages: Homemade or unpasteurized European or Korean beer
  
• Overripe/spoiled fruits and vegetables: Overripe bananas and avocados, pickles (kimchi or sauerkraut)

Sugary foods are usually high in simple and refined carbohydrates and make you hungry quickly because they are not filling and low in fiber. As such, they cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall.

„Low fiber and high saturated fat and sugar intake are associated with lighter, less restful sleep and more arousal”Marie-Pierre St-Onge –Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

This means that excessive consumption of sugary foods (including added sugars) is associated with it.i am perturbed(Note that the daily limit forAdded sugar intake accounts for 10% of total calories).

Common high-sugar foods that can interfere with sleep include:

• Sugary Drinks: Whole Sodas, Fruit Juices, Smoothies, Red Bull, Monster.
  
• Candy/Candies: Gummy bears, jelly beans, chocolates such as Mon Cheri and Pocket Espresso, sugar-coated dried fruit or nuts, chocolate/nut spreads, jam, honey, white table sugar, maple syrup, and agave syrup.
  
• Some nutritional supplements for athletes: athlete chews, simple sugar gels, dextrose powder, Gatorade and Lucozade.
  
• Baked goods: waffles, donuts, cakes, cookies.

Spicy foods are linked to poor sleep because they can causeheartburn and indigestionwhen eaten just before bedtime. This could be because lying down allows acids to build up, which can get worse while you sleep.

increase in body temperatureafter eating spicy food can also be another reason for poor sleep.

Therefore, avoid (if possible) spicy foods late in the evening, just before bedtime (1-2 hours is scarce).

Here are some examples of spicy foods:

• Peppers: Ghost Pepper, Jalapeño, Serrano, and Thai Pepper
  
• Spicy dishes: curries, kimchi, tom yum soups and ramen noodles
  
• Sauces/Condiments: Tabasco, Mustard, Wasabi, Sweet Pepper Sauce, Spicy Olive Oil, Hot Sauce, Buffalo Sauce
  

High-fat foods, especially high inTrans-FetteEsaturated fat, can affect the quality of sleep.

This is because fat is more complex to break down and digest than other nutrients, as it takes 3-4 hours to digest. Too much fat in a meal also means your meal is high in calories, resulting in a heavy meal before bed.

Keep in mind that fat intake should be approximate.20-35%Your total daily calories (depending on your goals and training), with no more than 10% of these coming from saturated fat.

Here's a list of high-fat foods to limit, especially before bed:

• Fried foods: Cakes, hamburgers, fries, pizzas and donuts.
  
• Whole dairy: yogurt, whole milk, cream and cheese.
  
• Salty and fatty meats: chicken skin, bacon, chorizo, salami, pancetta and sausages.
  
• Oils/Folders: Butter, ghee, tallow, lard and coconut oil.

Alcohol acts as a depressant and interacts with neurotransmitters in the brain. It is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream to reach the liver, but your liver can only process a small amount at a time.

This means that excess alcohol circulates throughout the body (depending on the person and the amount of alcohol consumed, alcohol can circulate in the body for several hours).

Alcohol taken with caffeine or energy drinks masks the sedative effects of alcohol, which often lead people to drink more.

for these reasons,Too much alcohol can cause insomnia, even if it initially causes drowsiness.

My advice would be to limit alcohol consumption, especially before bed. Try not to drink alcohol at least four hours before bedtime to avoid sleep disturbances.

Heavy meals consisting mainly offat and sugaryfood is connectedI'm interrupting. This is due to the more complex digestive needs attributed to heavy meals.

These meals can take several hours to digest, and sleeping on a full stomach can increase your risk of heartburn or indigestion.

To avoid this, give your body time to digest. If possible, wait 3-4 hours after a meal before going to bed.

Try to eat lighter meals rich in fiber (vegetables and whole grains), protein (meat, eggs, fish or legumes) and complex carbohydrates (wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, quinoa) that will give you longer-lasting energy before the day turns to sleep.

For example:

• 90-110g cooked chicken fillet, 3-4 egg-sized potatoes cooked in their skins, steamed broccoli and cauliflower.
• 140g of grilled salmon fillet with 90g of cooked quinoa and asparagus.
• 2 slices of black bread, 2-3 scrambled eggs mixed with tomatoes and mushrooms.