Better Sleep? The Role of Nutrition and More Tips for a Good Night's Rest
Do you often find yourself awake at night or struggle to fall asleep? You're not alone! Over 25% of the Dutch population experiences difficulties with sleep. Sleep problems can have various causes such as:
- Stress or excessive worrying.
- Exercising late in the evening.
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Physical discomfort such as itching, breathlessness, night-time urination, pain.
- Medication.
- Too much screen time.
- Bedroom is too warm, too bright or not quiet enough.
Foods That Keep You Awake
It turns out that consuming too much refined sugar (granulated sugar, caster sugar, brown sugar) can cause you to wake up more often at night, and eating saturated fats can prevent you from reaching deep sleep. This might be well known to most, but it’s worth mentioning some products containing refined sugars and/or saturated fats:
- biscuits
- sweets
- breakfast cereals likecruesli and cornflakes
- cakes
- chocolate
- processed meats
- sweet spreads
- sauces
- bread
- crackers
- crisps
- savoury snacks
- fried foods
E-numbers as Sleep Disturbers
It’s best to avoid packaged and processed foods because these are heavily processed and contain not only sugars and bad fats but also E-numbers. Particularly when it comes to the quality of your sleep, you should avoid certain E-numbers. One of the most well-known is E621 (monosodium glutamate - MSG), which is used as a flavour enhancer in foods like sauces, crisps, Maggi, and stock cubes. Even at low intake, E621 can cause sleep problems if you're sensitive to it. It's best to avoid E621 and carefully check labels, also for other names of this E-number such as:
- Yeast extract
- ve-tsin
- Added yeast
- Hydrolysed (soy) protein
Caffeine
A more familiar culprit when it comes to sleep issues is caffeine. Not only coffee, but also black tea, cola, (dark) chocolate, and energy drinks contain caffeine. If you're a poor sleeper, it's best to avoid these drinks after 3:00 pm. Ideally, you should (temporarily) avoid them altogether and, for example, not eat dark chocolate in the evening.
Spicy food raises your body temperature and stimulates brain activity, making it harder to fall asleep and causing more restlessness during the night.
Spicy Foods
Nightcap
You might think while reading this article; if you can't sleep, why not have a nice nightcap? Alcohol does indeed make you feel relaxed and drowsy, but although it might help you fall asleep, it negatively affects sleep quality. Alcohol prevents you from reaching your deepest sleep, known as REM sleep. This is the last stage of your sleep cycle where all the stimuli and information from the day are processed. Additionally, alcohol can cause you to wake up more frequently during the night.
Nutrition Tips for a Good Night's Sleep
- Consume enough fibre, vitamins, and minerals (read: at least 400 grams of vegetables per day).
- Don't eat too late in the evening! A full stomach means an active digestive system which can keep you awake.
- Avoid foods in the evening that can cause digestive issues like bloating. Restless, bloated intestines also lead to restless sleep.
- Ensure sufficient protein intake from tempeh, quark, legumes, organic chicken or meat.
- Opt for (especially in the evening) easily digestible meals to relieve the digestive system.
- Choose meals that keep blood sugar levels stable. Fluctuating blood sugar levels are linked to sleep problems.
- Supplement any deficiencies with a multivitamin, vitamin D3, magnesium and omega 3
Written by: Noëlle van Seggelen
