The relationship between diet and sleep is more interconnected than we realize. What we consume and when can have a significant impact on our sleep, while the quality of our sleep, in turn, can impact our food choices, creating a cyclical relationship. By understanding this connection, we can make better decisions for both our sleep and nutrition, enhancing overall health.
How sleep affects diet:
Hormones: Not getting enough quality sleep can have an effect on the body’s hormones. This can cause increased ghrelin levels and decreased leptin levels. Ghrelin is the hormone that stimulates appetite and leptin is the “fullness hormone”. This can result in overeating, especially foods high in fat and sugar.
Blood sugar: Poor quality sleep can result in poor blood sugar regulation and, over time, lead to insulin resistance. When you don’t get enough sleep, the body becomes less responsive to insulin, the hormone that helps cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream. As a result, the pancreas has to work harder to produce more insulin to regulate glucose levels. This increased demand can eventually lead to insulin resistance, where the body’s cells no longer respond to insulin effectively.
Impaired decision making: When you’re tired, you are more likely to make poor decisions when it comes to food choices. Foods that are more convenient and higher in fat and sugar, such as fast food, will sound more enticing. Sleep deprivation can also affect the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control and reasoning, making it harder to resist temptation of processed foods that are not nutritionally dense.
How diet affects sleep:
Getting an adequate amount of certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals can impact your sleep quality significantly.
Magnesium: Plays a crucial role in relaxing the muscles, which can improve sleep quality
Sources of magnesium: avocado, banana, spinach, dark leafy greens, nuts
Vitamin D: low levels of vitamin D have been associated with poor sleep quality. Sufficient amounts of vitamin D help regulate sleep-wake cycles.
Sources of vitamin D: Fatty fish, egg yolks, fortified dairy products, exposure to sunlight
Caffeine: Caffeine can negatively impact a person’s quality of sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant that blocks adenosine, a chemical in the body that makes you feel sleepy. Having a cup of coffee too late in the day can affect your body’s circadian rhythm. Caffeine should stop being taken 6-8 hours before bed, minimum.
Eating large meals late in the day: Heavy meals right before bed can lead to indigestion, making it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. Spicy or greasy foods can worsen these effects. Additionally, when you eat large meals late in the day, your body has to work harder to digest the food, which can interfere with its natural relaxation process. It’s best to allow 2-3 hours between eating a large meal and going to sleep for optimal digestion.
Things you can do to get a better sleep:
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