Although research studies do not give conclusive answers to the question about which food encourages sleep, and which awakens, there are still some basic rules. Here are few advices from the American National Sleep Foundation.
Food That Gives You Healthy Sleep:
Cherries: They contain natural melatonin-a chemical that helps controlling the inner clock, says Kerry Gans, a diet expert from New York and the author of the book “The Small Change Diet”.
A small research found that a cherry juice drink mildly improves the quality and length of sleep in people who suffer from insomnia.
Milk: It contains an amino acid called tryptophan which participates in the construction of serotonin (a chemical in the brain). Some people believe that tryptophan and serotonin can facilitate dream, but the evidence is controversial.
Jasmine Rice: Whilst slowly digested this rice gradually releases glucose into the bloodstream. A Research back in 2007 published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that consuming this rice four hours before sleep halved the time needed to fall asleep.
Bananas: They contain magnesium and potassium which relax the muscles, and carbs whose intake is generally recommended before sleep.
Sweet Potato: Contains complex carbs but also potassium. Other good sources of potassium are potatoes (baked in the shell), beans and papaya.
Valerian Tea: As some research suggests this tea accelerates the start of sleep and improves its quality. Besides Valerian root tea, Chamomile tea has similar properties.
Food That Interferes With Sleep
Protein: digestion slows down to about 50% when you sleep, and if you eat a large amount of proteins (which our stomach take more time to digest anyway) you will just further burden the digestive track and your body will be more focused on digestion, than on sleep.
Alcohol: Alcohol of any kind is disastrous for sleep. The organism quickly metabolizes it, which causes multiple awakenings during the night. A study has shown that a glass of Bourbon or Vodka mixed with a carbonated decaffeinated drink, drunk before sleep, increases the wake time in bed for 15 minutes, reduces the quality of sleep and shortens the overall sleep time for 19 minutes. Alcohol also worsens snoring, which can affect the sleep of your partner.
Dark Chocolate: It contains caffeine (some types more than others-read the Declaration) as well as theobromine, another stimulating substance which can cause rapid heartbeat and insomnia.
Energy Drinks: Created and used to maintain alertness. They contain high concentration of caffeine that won’t let you sleep. And by the way, it takes the body eight hours to get rid of caffeine in some cases.
Coffee: Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and keeps you awake. The sensitivity to caffeine differs from person to person, depending on how much one is used to it. If you don’t know how much caffeine you can take, best avoid it later in the day.Food rich with fats: fat “kills” the dream. It stimulates the production of stomach acid, which can return into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Such food is not recommended even during the day, if you want to maintain your good health.
