The secret to a great night’s sleep is just one bite away.
Odds are, you have heard plenty of tried-and-true tips for getting a great night’s sleep.
Turning down the temps in your room, cutting the caffeine, and avoiding
computer/phone screens are just a few of the obvious ones. But
according to recent research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the trick to maximizing your Zzz’s might start with what’s on your plate.
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To determine the best diet for a better night’s sleep, researchers
from Columbia University Medical Center monitored the sleep patterns of
26 adults for five nights. For the first four days, the participants ate
foods that were low in saturated fat and high in protein, and the
researchers observed their sleep patterns. The participants could choose
their own meals on the last night; then, the researchers studied their
sleep patterns again.
The results, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine,
found that food choices play a huge role in your quality of sleep.
Eating the low-fat, high-protein diet caused the subjects to fall asleep
within 17 minutes, on average. On the flip side, when participants
chose their own foods, it took them nearly twice as long to fall
asleep—about 30 minutes, in fact.
And the researchers didn’t just stop there. Not only did those sugary
and fatty snacks make it harder for the subjects to snooze, but they
also had “less restorative” shuteye and woke up more often throughout
the night, the researchers reported. Beware of the best and worst eating habits for sleep, too.
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“This study emphasizes the fact that diet and sleep are interwoven in
the fabric of a healthy lifestyle,” Dr. Nathaniel Watson, American
Academy of Sleep Medicine President, said in a statement.
“For optimal health, it is important to make lifestyle choices that
promote healthy sleep, such as eating a nutritious diet and exercising
regularly.”
Keep in mind that this study is small, so it can’t speak for every
single insomniac. But if you’re constantly tossing and turning at night,
switching up your diet might be worth a shot. Picky eaters, don’t
despair; these p.m. snacks will get you snoring, too.
