The connection between diet and sleep has largely been concerned with the foods we should be avoiding. Caffeine, alcohol, fast food and refined carbohydrates are likely to leave us counting more sheep than we know what to do with. Reducing these main culprits is a great place to start, but there is also a whole range of foods that you might want to consider adding into your diet, to help achieve the perfect night’s sleep.
A great deal of sleep problems come down to an imbalance of hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers the body produces which bring about different physiological responses. It is the main function of one hormone in particular, melatonin, to regulate sleep patterns, and it’s this hormone that we are trying to target with specific food and drink.
Melatonin
Melatonin is secreted deep within the brain when it starts to get dark outside, and maintaining optimal levels of this hormone is key to helping you nod off. Melatonin often gets out of whack when you travel long distances through different time zones, but jet-setting aside, it doesn’t take much for levels to take a battering. Watching TV at night, constantly checking your smart phone and being exposed to invasive street lighting all contribute to an environment inconducive to optimal melatonin levels. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that having a cut-off time for gizmos with bright screens and getting a set of black-out blinds are both good ideas. But there is also a way we can give our melatonin levels a helping hand with the nutrients that grace our dinner table.
Cherry juice
Tart Montmorency cherry juice is not only delicious and full of antioxidants, but has also been shown to increase levels of melatonin and enhance sleep quality (1). Thankfully, this type of cherry juice is readily available, and one 30ml serving at breakfast with another serving half an hour before the evening meal, may be all it takes to have you dropping off like a baby. Our favourite brand is Cherry Active, which you can buy online here
Kiwi
Kiwi is another fruit that has surprising sleep-boosting potential, and eating two kiwis one hour before bed has been shown to boost melatonin levels and support restful sleep (2).
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid that is used by the body as one of the main building blocks of melatonin. The majority of studies looking into the effects of tryptophan on sleep have focused on this amino acid in supplement form, but what we do know is that diets low in tryptophan can lead to poor sleep (3). So, if you want to make sure that your tryptophan levels are in good nick, be sure to get enough protein in your diet, especially from sources that contain decent levels of tryptophan, such as turkey, chicken and soya beans.
The tricky thing about dietary tryptophan is that it needs to make its way through the digestive system, competing with other amino acids for absorption, and then all the way to the brain, where it can finally be used to make melatonin. Certain foods can help tryptophan make this journey, while other foods can help convert the tryptophan into melatonin once it gets there. Let’s take a look at each of these.
Wholegrains
Refined carbohydrates (ie. white rice, bread and pasta) are not great news for sleep, and regular consumption of these foods has been shown to delay the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, and also affect sleep quality (4). If you switch things up, however, and incorporate wholegrains into your evening meal along with tryptophan-rich protein, you may be giving your melatonin levels a big helping hand.
Eating two kiwis one hour before bed has been shown to boost melatonin levels and support restful sleep
This all comes down to insulin. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of insulin, and whilst refined carbohydrates cause the body to release a high amount of insulin, wholegrains cause the body to release only a moderate amount. At nighttime, a little bit of insulin can be helpful, to assist the tryptophan reaching the brain, but too much insulin can have the opposite effect, causing imbalances in blood sugar levels which can disrupt sleep. The other benefit of wholegrains is that they are rich in B vitamins, needed for the conversion of tryptophan to melatonin. So, even a small portion of brown rice, wholegrain pasta, wholegrain bread or oatcakes can help make a difference.
Dark green leafy vegetables
Magnesium is a great sleep mineral for various reasons. Not only is it involved in the conversion of tryptophan to melatonin, but it is also known to calm the nervous system, countering fatigue and relaxing tense muscles. You’ll find plenty of magnesium in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and swiss chard. So go green and ensure you are getting enough magnesium in your diet.
It would be too simplistic to suggest that the food we eat is all that goes into getting a good night’s sleep. Even if your melatonin levels are in tip-top condition, the effects of stress, anxiety and tension can often override its balance and leave you lying wide awake. Meditation, relaxation and exercise can all help combat the effects of stress and should not be overlooked if you consistently struggle with sleep.
Whatever is disturbing your shut-eye, it is important to make sleep a health priority. Poor sleep affects every aspect of your day-to-day life and can have profound implications on your health. So make a meal of going to bed and cook up the perfect sleep-inducing meal. Sleep tight!
TC