Struggling to sleep is much more common than most people think, case studies show that over 1.5 million Australians suffer from sleeping disorders. Founder of Naked & Fresh, Nila Oppedisano shares some dietary mistakes you may be making, causing you to not get enough sleep.
A lack of sleep can contribute to depression, a loss of concentration, mood disorders, poor food choices such as an overuse of caffeine (leading the vicious cycle to continue) and it can even lead to a hormone imbalance which may lead to a host of new issues on its own.
If you are someone who struggles to get a good nights sleep, here are a few dietary mistakes that you may be making!
Dark chocolate
As you may already know, chocolate contains caffeine. What you probably didn’t know is that some chocolate can contain up to as much caffeine as a strong black or can of red bull. The highest cacao strength will actually keep you up the longest. Try swapping the chocolate bars for a handful of nuts. Walnuts contain the hormone melatonin which helps promote sleep!
Alcohol
For many of us, there’s nothing like ended the day with a nice glass of red wine. A few glasses before bed may help you fall asleep, but did you know that consuming too much alcohol can actually prevent you from sleeping soundly as Alcohol deprives you of truly restful REM (rapid eye movement) slee. Furthermore its dehydrating effects will have you searching for a glass of water all night!
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are truly superfoods, but consuming a rich tomato-based sauce can actually keep you up late at night. Why? Because tomatoes contain tyramine. Tyramine causes the adrenal gland to release the neurotransmitter norepinephrine which is part of our brain’s ‘flight or flight’ mechanism. This can make you feel overstimulated and alert.
Coffee and Tea
Now we all know that coffee and some teas contain caffeine, but did you know that the effect of that caffeine could last in your body for 8-10 hours or more?
So with that in mind, try to avoid having coffee or tea after 11am if you want to sleep from 9pm! I would even suggest avoiding decaf as a report has suggested that some decaf coffees can have as much as 20mgsof caffeine.
A Big Meal or a Spicy Meal
I’m sure we have all heard the rumour about having a big meal before bed and then falling into a sound sleep, however the reality is that having a large meal too close to bedtime may actually make you feel uncomfortably bloated and as a result may interrupt your sleep.
Furthermore, spicy and fatty foods are associated with acid reflux which is particularly prevalent when you lie down at night.
My suggestion would be to make sure you finish your last meal at least 2 hours before you are due to retire, if not earlier! Also try to eat foods the promote sleep such as simple carbs.
Try to avoid late night snacking as they may give your body too much energy and keep you up or it may not be great for weight maintenance.
