What’s on your plate and when you eat it—whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks in between—can make an impact on how you sleep later that night. The good news is that overall healthy eating habits and making mealtimes consistent and regularwill support a good night’s rest. But what exactly does that look like? Here we’ll dig into what exactly causes poor sleep, how help yourself get a good night’s rest and what 3 days of healthy, wholesome eating for better sleep looks like.
This Is the #1 Food for Better Sleep, According to a Dietitian
What can cause poor sleep?
There are so many reasons why you may be getting insufficient shut-eye. It can range fromnighttime habits, like staying up late toNetflixor catch up on social media, work schedules such as shift work or late hours, or medical causes, including sleep apnea,stress and anxiety, or pain conditions.
Read More:What Happens to Your Body If You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
Of course, for good sleep, you’ll need to do other things, like set a consistent sleep and wake time, allow yourself proper time to wind down before bed,exercise dailyand othersleep hygienemeasures, such as sleeping in a cool, dark bedroom. Your diet is one piece of the puzzle, but it can make a real difference.
See More:10 Dietitians and Doctors Share Their Morning Routines
How your diet can help you have a good night’s sleep
It’s all about minding your body’s internal clocks. “Our bodies have a circadian rhythm for everything,” saysAlicia Roth, PhD,a sleep disorders expert at Cleveland Clinic. Every system, from digestion to hunger, hormones and each and every organ—has its own body clock. “Having your eating habits aligned with your sleep-wake circadian rhythm can make a difference in your health,” she says.
That means eating regular meals around the same time each day, says Roth. This does not have to be exact, but it should fall within an hour of when you normally eat. “Your body loves predictability and consistency,” she says. This goes for everything you do during the day but settingconsistent mealsallows your body to send out appetite and fullness signals at the right time and ready your body to metabolize and digest your food. And, your body alsouses food intakeas a way to “keep time” throughout the day and set your circadian rhythms.
What Happens To Your Body When You Get a Good Night’s Sleep
What to eat for better sleep
Pictured Recipe:Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
No question your diet has an effect on your sleep. “Sleep is meant to be a restorative time for your body to repair itself. However, if you eat too close to bedtime, especially spicy foods or those that are high in fat, fiber, or sugar, your body will not be able to send all the energy it needs to the jobs of healing but will instead spend energy digesting the food you ate,” says Marci Hardy, PhD, health expert for Brooklyn Bedding.
Another way breakfast and lunch play into your sleep patterns at night is because “eating healthy, well-balanced meals throughout the day can help you avoid overeating later in the day,” Spiewak says. And that’s important because a large, high-fat meal can be hard on your digestive system (the body is slow to metabolize fat) and also makes you more prone to reflux and indigestion during the night. If you are planning a larger meal—or really want to go spicy—slide it into the lunchtime slot where you still have many hours of digestion and activity ahead of you for the day, says Hardy.
Ideally, for dinner focus on putting together a meal balanced in carbohydrate, protein, fat and is low in sugar, adds Hardy. Eat at least three hours before bed, she suggests.
What to skip for better sleep
The trick with dinner or nighttime snacking is that you want to eat foods that are satisfying and filling—going to bed hungry can also keep you up—but not those that sit like a brick in your stomach or bubble back up in reflux.In general, avoid the following at night:
“These types of foods can all lead to digestive issues while sleeping, making it more difficult to go to sleep and have a negative effect on sleep quality,” says Spiewak.
3-Day Sample Meal Plan for Better Sleep
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Evening Snack
Day 2
Day 3
Snacks
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