Optimize Your Sleep: What to Eat for Better Rest and Recovery
Optimize Your Sleep: What to Eat for Better Rest and Recovery
Boost your sleep naturally by eating the right foods at the right times of day.
Good sleep is inseparable from good health. In fact, lack of sleep can increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, weight gain, diabetes, or even depression. Our diet directly influences the quality of our sleep. As such, maintaining an appropriate diet throughout the day helps us to benefit from a good night’s rest.
Almost all of our body’s biological functions are regulated by 24-hour cycles - that’s what we call our circadian rhythm. Our internal clock acts as the conductor that will regulate different functions of our circadian rhythms. In this way, it will control the production of the sleep hormone (melatonin) at the end of the day and the awake hormone (dopamine) in the morning, help lower our body temperature and heart rate at night, and even manage memory consolidation during our sleep. Neurotransmitters are vital to our circadian rhythm regulation:
In the morning, we need dopamine and norepinephrine, which are going to be our basis for waking up and getting motivated.
At night, we need serotonin and melatonin, which are responsible for calming down and regulating sleep.
That’s why it is necessary to prioritize a diet that boosts the production of these neurotransmitters at the right times of day.
BREAKFAST: For breakfast, it is recommended to consume a source of animal protein. These will promote dopamine production, which will stimulate us waking up and feeling motivated. Besides boosting our motivation and alertness, this dopamine production will maximize our circadian rhythm regulation. So, we are getting ready for bed as soon as we eat breakfast! You can, for example, opt for eggs or other protein sources, cheese, and yogurt. Try high quality carbs/grain products with low glycemic index such as sourdough, mixed grain organic breads or traditional muesli. Also, consume real fruit vs. fruit juices. Green tea and coffee both have antioxidants, which are good options as well. There are also plant-based alternatives, especially nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.). Chia seeds are another vegetarian alternative, even though they contain less protein per portion.
LUNCH: At mid-day, it is also recommended to have some protein - animal or plant - in order have enough energy to last until the end of the day. For example, you can go for chicken, fish or eggs. These proteins should be paired with fiber-rich legumes which will help you feel full and whose low glycemic index will allow for a steady release of energy in the body. Also, you can never get too many vegetables. Eating veggies promotes satiety, has a low glycemic index, and is rich in fiber. Eat carbs sparingly, since this can cause a spike in your blood sugar that ultimately causes fatigue.
For a snack, you can choose a fruit or two pieces of dark chocolate. Greek yogurt with nuts and seeds or jerky are good options as well.
DINNER: In the evening, choose a vegetarian meal without meat, fish, or eggs! In fact, tyrosine - present mostly in animal proteins - promotes dopamine production, a neurotransmitter that fuels our experience of waking up and being motivated. If dopamine is ideal in the morning for getting ready, then at night our body needs to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for calming down and regulating sleep. This serotonin is synthesized by tryptophan, an amino acid that we find in plant-based proteins: legumes, soy, wholegrain rice, sunflower seeds, chocolate, etc. Additionally, animal proteins contain amino acids which compete with tryptophan. These amino acids will slow down the tryptophan’s path to the brain. As such, it is not absorbed as well, which affects serotonin production, and therefore, sleep.
Lastly, animal proteins (and cooked fats in particular) put too much stress on our bodies in the evening because their digestion time is longer. The body is going to have to produce more energy, and therefore more heat, to allow this digestion. However, our bodies need to lower their temperature at night in order to sleep. So instead, opt for a portion of vegetable protein as well as for foods which promote serotonin production. Vegetables should make up at least one-third of your dinner. They supply fiber, which promotes satiety and prevents snacking after dinner. Vegetables are especially important to combat hunger by compensating for the lack of animal protein at night. They also provide vitamins and minerals.
Some foods encourage serotonin production and tryptophan absorption, which optimizes sleep quality:
Walnuts and almonds. In addition to tryptophan, they contain magnesium, a lack of which can be associated with sleep disorders.
Yogurt and cheese. These fermented dairy products contain tryptophan. Ideally, they should be made from goat or sheep milk.
Carbohydrates (whole grains and fruits). Thanks to insulin secretion, the amino acids will be directed to the brain rather than the muscles. That will make room for tryptophan in the brain, so it is more readily available for serotonin production.
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Kim Duke is a certified personal trainer and owner of Core Performance Fitness and Training, 55 Bristol Lane, Ellicottville, NY. Kim resides in Ellicottville where she raised her sons, Zach and Nik. For more information about her studio, including private sessions and group workout classes, visit her Facebook page, www.coreperformancefitness.com or call 716-698-1198.
