A Recipe for a Good Nights Sleep
Added Thursday, November 29th, 2007 at 10:07 am | View Comments
When we’re tired, lots of us reach for a cup of coffee or a sugary snack, but does this help, and if so why? Advice about the food and drink that will help and hinder our sleep is everywhere, but now bedstar will give you a quick lowdown on what to avoid, and what may aid you in your quest for better rest.
Bed time snacks
What we eat before we go to bed can affect how easily we fall asleep. Some foods contain the amino acid tryptophan, proteins like cheese and meat make up the building blocks of tryptophan, and the tired feeling after eating lots of carbohydrates is due to them making tryptophan available to the brain. So night time snacks to help you drop off can be a mix of protein and carbohydrate, like milk and cereal.
Good sleep helps you stay slim
More and more research is being conducted on the link between sleep and appetite. Studies have recently shown that the obesity rate is higher in those who have sleep problems, due to tiredness increasing the production of the hormone causing hunger and decreasing that which suppresses appetite.
Afternoon Snooze?
Our biological clocks play a big part in how we feel at different times of the day. Many people get drowsy after lunch and blame the feeling on a big meal, or a late night. But often this post-lunch dip is just a natural reaction to your body clock which causes you to feel tired around 2am and 2pm, causing a dip in alertness.
Tea and Coffee
Most adults have at least one caffeinated drink each day, and many have a lot more than that. Caffeine is a stimulant which blocks the signals in your brain that make you feel tired, so it can assist in keeping you awake and alert. Since this does not last long the most effective way for caffeine to help you stay awake is to have it little and often throughout the day. But beware that this may keep you awake at night, so stop drinking it a few hours before bed.
Energy drinks – Are they the right sort of Buzz?
Energy drinks are a combination of lots of sugar, caffeine and some helpful amino acids, so they are very effective as a quick pick me up. But the benefits last a very short time and the energy crash afterwards will likely leave you feeling more tired than before.
A wee medicinal drop?
Alcohol has a reputation as a sleeping aid, and while it may be true that after a few glasses of wine you will probably fall asleep easier, the negative effect on the quality of sleep will likely outweigh that benefit. After drinking alcohol it is harder to fall into deep sleep where you can fully recuperate and waking up in the night is common. Alcohol has also been shown to increase the risk of snoring which could stop you and others getting the rest you need.
So how important is food?
The food you eat is the fuel that your body uses to function. There is a balance between the amount you eat and how much you do, so it makes sense to eat the most when you are busiest, which for most of us is during the day. So breakfast and lunch are very important meals, whereas in the evening your dinner could make sleeping that night harder, depending on what you eat.
Now you know how food and drink can help you on the way to a good night’s sleep, all you need to do is curl up on a comfy mattress and relax. Complete your bedroom and check out our range of bedroom furniture for some great offers and ideas to create a restful sleep environment.
Leave a Reply
