How Does Food Affect Our Sleep?

If you are suffering from insomnia you are ready to try just about anything to be able to fall asleep. The endless tossing and turning can be agonizing, so we often turn to sleep medication to get some much needed rest. Instead, the solution may be found in what we eat. It is worth taking a look at how food affects our sleep. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just open the fridge to help you fall asleep instead of a pill bottle?

We all know that food can make us sleepy, just think about Thanksgiving. After eating a big turkey dinner, it’s hard to do anything but lie down and take a nap. This is because of a chemical tryptophan, which allows your body to produce an amino acid called L-Tryptophan. This amino acid is essential in the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin. Both of them help slow down the nerve traffic in your brain. This helps you to relax and allows you to think less and drift off into sleep.

Of course eating a big plate of turkey before bed every single night isn't an option. Thankfully, turkey isn’t the only source of tryptophan. This chemical is also found in dairy products, soy, meat (especially poultry), nuts, fish, beans, eggs, hummus and most other high-protein foods. Eating a small amount of  foods that are rich in protein shortly before bed time can help you sleep soundly.

The problem with many of the foods that contain tryptophan is that they also contain an amino acid called tyrosine. This produces chemicals that perk you up and make you more energized. Eaten alone, these acids will counteract each other produce no significant effects in either direction. The key to getting rest is to eat other foods that will allow you to utilize the tryptophan and not the tyrosine. Excellent foods for accomplishing this effect are carbohydrates. They encourage your body to produce insulin which “ties up” the tyrosine and allows the tryptophan to reach the brain without competition. Just be sure to avoid too large amounts of carbs and simple sugars. You can produce too much insulin; causing you to wake up not long after you’ve fallen asleep.

Another way to get the full benefit of tryptophan is to eat foods that will increase your brain’s absorption of this amino acid. The best way to do this is with calcium. And we already learned that dairy products are a great source of tryptophan. This is why our mother’s always gave us a warm glass of milk at night to help us rest; because it works.

So, if you just can’t seem to settle down and get to sleep, try a late night meal containing nature’s sleeping pill: tryptophan. Just remember not too eat too much at night or you’ll likely wake up a few hours later. The most effective plan is to have a moderately sized dinner and a small snack an hour or two before bed. If you eat the right foods at bedtime, you’ll bed drifting off to dreamland in no time.

Your Secret Weapon for a Healthy Eating Lifestyle

Would you like us to help you cook healthier for your entire family? Join the Healthy Menu Mailer today. We will send you 7 healthy dinner recipes a week with a grocery list to go along with it. Start with our healthy menu plan.