What foods are good before bed and what are bad

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The right dinner will help to overcome insomnia.

Sleep deprivation is a serious challenge for both health and psyche. Sleep quality is influenced by many factors, from stress to genetic diseases. However, food intake is of no small importance here.

And if you have trouble sleeping, it might be worth reconsidering your diet. We figure out which products help, and which, on the contrary, prevent you from getting the right, healthy rest.

Foods That Improve Sleep

If you periodically suffer from insomnia, include them in your diet and after a while you will see the difference.

Bananas

These fruits are rich in Nutrition Facts & Calories: Bananas, raw potassium and magnesium - substances that act as natural muscle relaxants. They help the body relax before bed. In addition, bananas contain the amino acid tryptophan L-Tryptophan: Basic Metabolic Functions, Behavioral Research and Therapeutic Indications, and it is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that also promotes relaxation.

Serotonin, in turn, under the influence of an enzyme in the pineal gland of the brain is converted into melatonin, the "sleep hormone". One study on Serum melatonin levels and antioxidant capacities after consumption of pineapple, orange, or banana by healthy male volunteers found that after consuming two bananas, blood melatonin levels quadrupled. It takes about an hour before tryptophan reaches the brain, so it is best to have a snack an hour and a half before bedtime.

Almond

These delicious nuts are rich in Nuts, almonds [Includes USDA commodity food A256, A264] not only in protein, but also in magnesium, a substance that provides The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in the elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial muscle relaxation and makes it easier to fall asleep.

In addition, almonds are a valuable source of melatonin. Dietary Sources and Bioactivities of Melatonin and may lower cortisol levels. Strategies of Functional Foods Promote Sleep in Human Being, a stress hormone that prevents sleep. Studies Investigation of sedative and hypnotic effects of Amygdalus communis L. extract: behavioral assessments and EEG studies on rat show that this type of nut, as well as the oil from them, has a sedative and hypnotic effect.

So a handful of almonds before bed or a sandwich with almond butter will be a great help in the fight against insomnia.

Cherry

Cherries are one of the natural sources of melatonin. Updates on Nutraceutical Sleep Therapeutics and Investigational Research. A pair of studies on Tart cherry juice increases sleep time in older adults with insomnia (830.9), Pilot Study of the Tart Cherry Juice for the Treatment of Insomnia and Investigation of Mechanisms, showed that adults with insomnia who drank 250 milliliters of cherry juice before bedtime slept on an hour and a half longer than those who did not consume cherries. In addition, their sleep was better and they rested better.

So eat a handful of cherries an hour before touching your pillow, or sip on a glass of natural cherry juice.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea contains the substance apigenin Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future, Herbal medicine for insomnia: A systematic review and meta ‑ analysis, which promotes drowsiness and helps against insomnia. One study, Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: A randomized placebo-controlled pilot study, demonstrated that people who took chamomile extract twice daily for a month fell asleep 15 minutes faster and woke up less often. in the middle of the night compared to those who did not use the extract. And chamomile tea lovers have a reduced risk of depression Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial, which also leads to sleep problems.

Passion flower tea

In addition to chamomile, tea made from passionflower, or passion flower, also has a good effect on sleep. It also contains apigenin Risks and Benefits of Commonly used Herbal Medicines in México and has a calming effect. The effectiveness of this drink has been proven experimentally by A double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality by specialists from Monash University in Australia.

In their study, a group of adults drank a cup of passionflower tea for seven days just before bed. And by the end of the week, the quality of the subjects' nightly rest had improved significantly compared to the placebo control group.

Start drinking passionflower tea before bed, and it will be much easier to fall asleep after a couple of weeks.

Kiwi

Kiwi contains Kiwifruit, (chinese gooseberries), held in storage, raw, large amounts of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has a relaxing effect and helps you fall asleep faster. In one experiment, Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problems, participants were asked to eat two kiwifruit an hour before bed each night. After a month, the researchers noticed that the time it took subjects to fall asleep decreased by 35%, and the duration and quality of rest increased.

In addition, the Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression in kiwi reduces the body's cravings for carbohydrates. So, if you eat it before bed, you will less want to go out for a snack in the middle of the night.

Oatmeal

Usually oatmeal is associated with breakfast. But it also helps to fall asleep. First, oatmeal contains a lot of Dietary Sources and Bioactivities of Melatonin - more than other grains. Secondly, it contains selenium Sleep symptoms associated with intake of specific dietary nutrients, and its lack causes difficulty falling asleep. Finally, oatmeal is rich in tryptophan and Oat: unique among the cereals in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and potassium, which also promote healthy sleep.

But keep in mind that this porridge is healthy only if you eat it without sugar. But sweet oatmeal, on the other hand, will prevent Effects of Diet on Sleep Quality from falling asleep.

Milk

A glass of warm milk before bed - greetings from childhood. It helps you fall asleep because it contains Milk proteins as a source of tryptophan ‑ containing bioactive peptides tryptophan. In addition, it is an excellent source of calcium, which regulates the production of melatonin. Effect of melatonin ‑ rich night ‑ time milk on sleep and activity in elderly institutionalized subjects. If you woke up at night and cannot sleep again, drink a glass of milk with a teaspoon of honey. Experiments Effect of milk-honey mixture on the sleep quality of coronary patients: A clinical trial study showed that this combination reduces the time it takes to fall asleep and improves the quality of rest.

Walnuts

Walnuts are one of the best sources of melatonin Health Benefits of Nut Consumption. They also help the body produce serotonin Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression: Scientific Evidence and Biological Mechanisms, thereby promoting sleep. So a handful of walnuts, eaten just like that or added to a salad, just before bed will definitely not hurt.

Foods that are bad for sleep

People with sleep disorders should forget about them.

Caffeine

Everyone knows that caffeine helps Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials to wake up and keep you feeling sleepy. In addition, it slows down the Caffeine Consumption and Sleep Quality in Australian Adults process of falling asleep and reduces overall sleep time. This substance continues to have a negative effect even six hours after consuming Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed.

You don't even need to mention coffee before bed, but there are other products Intake of caffeine from all sources and reasons for use by college students that contain caffeine: chocolate, energy drinks, gum (food additive), and some medicines. And in tea, both black and green, there is also A Study on Caffeine Effect of Tea on Health caffeine. Therefore, before going to bed, it is better to switch to herbal options.

Each person has a different reaction of Pharmacology of Caffeine to caffeine: some can drink a large mug of coffee at night and sleep well, for others, 150 grams of the drink is enough to torment half the night with insomnia. Therefore, focus on the reaction of your body and cut out caffeine if you see its negative effects on sleep.

Fatty food

Experiments Fiber and Saturated Fat Are Associated with Sleep Arousals and Slow Wave Sleep prove that fat food drinkers get less healthy sleep than light dinner drinkers. High-fat meals not only significantly reduce the quality of the night's rest. Relationship between Food Intake and Sleep Pattern in Healthy Individuals and the rate of falling asleep, but can also cause Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: the role of diet, heartburn and indigestion. If such food cannot be avoided, at least three hours before bedtime have dinner Association between dinner-to-bed time and gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

However, there is one exception to this rule: oily fish such as salmon, tuna, trout and mackerel, on the other hand, can help you fall asleep. The fact is that it contributes to Vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty acids control serotonin synthesis and action, part 2: relevance for ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and impulsive behavior in the production of serotonin. One Fish Consumption, Sleep, Daily Functioning, and Heart Rate Variability study found that people who ate a little Atlantic salmon before bed fell asleep faster than those who ate chicken, beef, or pork.

Alcohol

Ethanol has a negative effect on The Effects of Alcohol on Quality of Sleep on REM sleep cycles during which we dream. Since it is these cycles that the restoration of strength depends, it turns out that alcohol deprives you of rest, even at night. In addition, prolonged drinking can disrupt circadian rhythms and lead to insomnia. Sleep, Sleepiness, and Alcohol Use.

UPD. Text updated on September 15, 2019 with more scientific evidence from verified sources.