Sleep problems are most often associated with psychological factors, such as stress at work or a fight with a partner. Sometimes we also attribute sleep deprivation to accompanying health dysfunctions, e.g., a cold or migraine. Meanwhile, it turns out that it could be our diet that is the source of numerous problems with a good night’s rest, as well as the time at which we eat during the day.
We may attach increasing importance to what is on our plate or the caloric content of our daily diet, but rarely do we stick to a specific time for meals. Most of us pay attention only to dinner, which eaten too late can cause difficulty in falling asleep or unpleasant gastric ailments. Meanwhile, our sleep is affected by a whole series of meals, not just the last one. What are the most common mistakes we make?
Always in a hurry
Living in a constant hurry is certainly not conducive to maintaining healthy eating habits. Too much work and too many responsibilities effectively distract us from mundane activities such as… eating. Skipping meals is the greatest sin we commit against our bodies. And due to such sins, the road to sleep disorders is really short.
The road through calorific value
Yes. Quite often, we pay attention to the calorific value of meals, but we do not normally associate the value of our meals with the right time of day. This means that the later it gets, the fewer calories our meals should have. Breakfast can be hearty and even sweet, but lunch should be balanced and full of valuable carbohydrates, while the afternoon snack and dinner should be the lightest and most easily digestible. By maintaining such proportions, our body will consistently digest each meal and not be burdened at night.
Making up for meals
If you think that by omitting breakfast and lunch, you can make up for them with a rich dinner, you are wrong. Making up for missed meals doesn’t exist in dieting! However, this doesn’t mean that you have to starve yourself by choosing less caloric but healthier foods (e.g., vegetables instead of fried meat). Remember that everything you eat in the evening will be left for your body’s digestive system to work on through the night. And after such a busy night, it is unreasonable to expect a regenerated organism.
Ways to sleep better
It’s not just food that will make your nights relaxing and effective. If you have a difficult night from time to time, you can try to work on the quality of your sleep and the habits you have developed so far. To prevent the problem from repeating, you can:
- Replace the mattress – its service life is not unlimited. A worn-out or uncomfortable mattress will certainly not lead to pleasant dreams.
- Think about changing the duvet – if you want to work on the quality of your sleep, try replacing the classic duvet with a weighted blanket with a special filling. Such a blanket makes it easier to enter deep sleep, making your sleep more effective. This practice is a proven and recommended way for therapists to put the body in a calm state.
- Study the rules of sleep hygiene – despite all the talk about it, we still find maintaining the basic rules difficult.
- Carefully plan – not only professional duties but also household duties, including rest and the time we get up and wake up. An orderly day gives us a better chance of getting a better night’s sleep and a more pleasant morning.
- Read – if you cannot fall asleep, the best way to tire the body is to perform an activity that requires the involvement of one of the senses. In this case, reading (only paper versions) books or newspapers can be beneficial because the simultaneous involvement of sight and mind should quickly cope with the remnants of accumulated energy. Be sure to avoid staring at your phone, computer, or TV!
