Proper Nutrition for Good Sleep

Your eating habits can affect the quality and duration of your sleep (as shown in the early stages of research). This can turn into a vicious cycle: when you do not get a good night's sleep, the high-energy foods you choose to keep you going the next day may be exactly the foods that undermine your sleep (for example, caffeine and snacks with high fat) *.

There are many factors that are important for improving sleep, including the nutritional value of our diet and our good eating habits. Here are some tips on proper nutrition for a good night's sleep:

• Pay attention to the portions of the dinner. Lying down with a very full stomach can cause you discomfort, while the digestive process may adversely affect your sleep. Limit yourself to the amount needed to satisfy you.
• Do not overdo it with calories and fat in your dinner. Choose balanced dishes with healthy sources of carbohydrates - vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.
• Pay attention to caffeine and alcohol intake, which can disrupt your normal sleep patterns and make you wake up in the middle of the night **.
• Make sure you stay hydrated during the day. A full bladder can deprive you of a good night's sleep, so make sure you reduce your fluid intake at night.

With just a few of these changes, you can see your sleep transform, so give it a try. Sweet dreams!

* St-Onge MP, Mikic A, Pietrolungo CE. Effects of Diet on Sleep Quality. Adv Nutr. 15 Sep 2016, 7 (5): 938-49.

** He S, Hasler BP, Chakravorty S. Alcohol and sleep-related problems. Curr Opin Psychol. Dec 2019, 30: 117-122.

Clark I, Landolt HP. Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials. Sleep Med Rev. Feb 2017, 31: 70-78.