Getting a good night’s sleep and healthy eating is important to your overall health and wellbeing. Like so many other things, sleep can’t be isolated from the other areas of your life. What you do during your waking hours–and, specifically, what you eat during the day–can have a drastic impact on the quality of your sleep.
Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to help you get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling rested and rejuvenated.
Avoid Caffeine
Caffeine is a part of life for many people. A cup of coffee first thing in the morning–and maybe one mid-afternoon–might help you make it through the day, but drinking caffeine late in the afternoon can really wreck your rest. Even small amounts of caffeine can affect your sleep. If you’re having trouble sleeping, trying cutting back or eliminating caffeine for a period of two weeks. If your sleep quality improves, it might be worth it to your health to make the change permanently. You can always reintroduce caffeine slowly and evaluate how it impacts your rest and healthy eating habits.
Watch Out for Indigestion
Spicy or fried foods can lead to indigestion and heartburn. People who experience nighttime heartburn report higher levels of insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and daytime sleepiness. Digestive problems like these can make it hard to wake up feeling rested. If you want to avoid indigestion and heartburn, steer clear of large meals of spicy or fatty foods right before bed.
It’s About Balance
Eating a balanced diet will not only improve your health. Healthy eating could also improve your sleep. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and proteins that are rich in B vitamins promotes a sense of being that leads to better sleep. B vitamins may also help regulate melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate your sleep cycles.
Bedtime Snacks
Eating the right bedtime snack can actually help promote positive sleep patterns. A high-carbohydrate snack right before bed helps to release serotonin in the brain. Serotonin helps to reduce stress and aids sleep. You’ll go to sleep without feeling hungry and with a cocktail of chemicals in your brain to help you relax and rest.
Healthy sleep comes–at least partially–through healthy eating. Fit Five Meals makes getting the nutrition your body needs easier by providing fresh meals to round out a balanced diet. Our menu offers the flexibility to plan out your meals and preorder what you need to fuel you through the week.