Fatty food disturbs us when we sleep, carbohydrates make us tired, hunger keeps us awake and beer has two faces. What we eat and drink in the evening, it has a major impact on our quality of sleep regardless of the best mattress brands you sleep on. We give you 7 rules on how to sleep better in the future.
What You Eat Affects Your Sleep
If you ask those affected why they sleep poorly, two-thirds cite stress and “cannot switch off” as reasons. We often do not notice that in many cases dinner and evening snacks are the real triggers. But our bodies also work during sleep, digest, generate energy, regenerate. The composition and of course the size of the meal decide how well we can cope with it and when we sleep better.
Incidentally, the older we get, the more this effect becomes noticeable. Because with increasing age the digestive capacity decreases. If in the past we were able to nibble greasy chips without problems shortly before sleep, they can bring us valuable hours of relaxation with increasing age.
If you are one of those who sleeps constantly or often poorly, these tips will help you:
1. Carbohydrates in the evening make you tired
Don’t skimp on complex carbohydrates at dinner! They are abundant in whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, and potatoes and promote the release of the feel-good hormone serotonin. Serotonin relaxes and ensures a peaceful, restful sleep.
Unfortunately, the opposite trend has been observed in recent years: more and more people consciously avoid carbohydrates in the evening, hoping to lose weight faster. But if this abstinence leads to poorer sleep, you are not doing the body any good – sleep disorders are in turn connected with cravings and being overweight.
2. Greasy food in the evening is heavy in the stomach
The situation is very different from high-fat dishes. Above all, saturated fatty acids keep us busy until late at night. Fatty dishes such as meat, sausage or salmon are in the stomach for up to five hours, very fatty meals such as goose, roast pork or oil sardines are even up to eight hours.
In order to digest high-fat meals, the body boosts the metabolism. A calm, relaxed sleep is then hardly possible.
3. Don’t eat late – sleep better
At least two hours, or even four hours for fatty foods, should be between supper and bedtime. Otherwise, the body is still too busy with digestive work and there is no thought of a night’s sleep. If you have no way to eat early enough, adjust the amount accordingly.
4. Caution: Hunger also makes you sleep poorly!
But hunger is also not conducive to sleep. There is nothing to be said against a small snack before bedtime – as long as it is the right one.
Nuts, almonds or trail mix are best suited here. They contain proteins that are conducive to good sleep. Sweet sweets such as chocolate or gummy bears are not very suitable. The sugar it contains raises blood sugar levels. That keeps us awake. A few hours later, the blood sugar level drops rapidly. Sleeping problems can result.
5. Beer and Wine: Alcohol has two faces
A glass of beer in the evening? Yes, it can be sleep-inducing! Alcohol makes us sleep better in small amounts. At the same time, the hops in the beer have a calming effect. A glass of red wine also has a relaxing effect.
But be careful: With larger quantities (more than two glasses) the tide turns. We still fall asleep quickly, but while the alcohol is being broken down, the body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. As a result, the second half of the night becomes restless. We wake up more often, dream dreamily and sleep flat overall. In the morning we don’t really feel rested – and neither are we.
6. Raw food in the evening is not suitable for everyone
If you suffer from sleep disorders, you should avoid raw foods in the evening. As healthy as the fresh green is, raw it can cause bloating and discomfort in sensitive people. That takes your sleep away. It is better to steam or steam your vegetables in the evening and enjoy them warm or lukewarm.
7. Drink yourself sleepy
It is well known that caffeinated drinks such as coffee, cola or black and green tea do not exactly promote sleep. From 4 p.m., or even better from 2 p.m., you should avoid this if you suffer from sleep disorders.
But fruit juices also have an invigorating effect. The fruit acid and the vitamins it contains have an invigorating effect and are therefore not recommended shortly before bedtime.
Warm, aromatic drinks such as teas are suitable. Melissa tea is particularly recommended. Lemon balm (also called lemon balm) has a calming and relaxing effect and promotes sleep. By the way, you are welcome to sweeten the tea with a teaspoon of honey. Because this also helps the body to relax.