Eating Tips
What you eat and when you eat impact how drowsy or alert you are. Healthy foods give you energy, stabilize mood, and help your body function normally.
Eating to Stay Alert
Choose meals and snacks with foods high in protein and fiber-rich carbohydrates. Eating these at the same time provides you with sustained energy. Fiber also helps slow digestion and stabilizes blood sugar.
Foods High in Protein:
* Dairy (low and non-fat cheese, yogurt, milk)
* Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts and seeds
* Soy (edamame, soy milk, tofu)
Foods High in Fiber-Rich Carbohydrates:
* Fresh fruits and vegetables
* Legumes, beans and lentils
* Whole-grain cereals, bread and pasta
Avoid meals and snacks high in sugar or large amounts of carbohydrates. These foods cause a sharp increase in blood sugar, but then a drop. When your blood sugar is low, you feel tired, cranky, and hungry.
Have a healthy snack when you feel hungry or need a natural energy boost. Place healthy foods where you can easily see them in the fridge, pantry, office snack drawer, or on the kitchen counter or table.
Healthy Snack Ideas
* Cut-up veggies with hummus, salsa, or nut butters
* Pita bread with hummus
* Granola bar (with less than 5 g sugar)
* Raw nuts (low-salt or no-salt)
* Fresh fruit and veggies
* Natural peanut butter on low-sodium crackers or celery sticks
* Mini whole-wheat bagel with natural peanut butter or cream cheese
* Hard cooked eggs
* Trail mix with nuts, dried fruit, and seeds
* Yogurt with berries and nuts (with less than 10 g sugar)
* String cheese and low-sodium crackers
* Smoothie with fruit, protein powder, and milk. Try adding avocado, or leafy greens.
Avoid Big Meals
Your body must work extra hard to digest a large meal. Oxygen-rich blood is sent to your stomach and intestines for extra digestion power. When your brain does not receive as much oxygen, you feel drowsy.
A dip in energy or feeling sleepy an hour or two after a meal may be due to a meal high in sugar or refined carbohydrates. In the afternoon, your circadian rhythm may also cause a dip in energy. Your body naturally feels the most tired at 2 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Plan. Write two examples you will try this week for a meal or snack.
Starting the Day
Follow a regular daily schedule for meals and snacks. Start the day with a healthy breakfast that includes a food with protein. If your day starts in the evening, plan on eating something when you wake up. You will be less likely to feel hungry later in the day or to crave sweets.
Tip: Choose larger meals at breakfast and lunch than at dinner. Your last meal of the day should be the smallest.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas
* Leftovers from the day before
* Scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes, peppers, or salsa
* Cereal with milk
* Tortilla with beans, eggs, salsa and cheese (breakfast burrito)
* Handful of nuts or a spoonful of peanut butter
* Fruit or fruit smoothie (pair with protein)
* String cheese or cheese slices with whole-grain crackers
Eating Before Bed
Before you go to bed, have a small snack rich in the amino acid L-tryptophan or foods with carbohydrates (cereal, bread, fruit). These foods may help promote sleep.
Tryptophan:Tryptophan is found in most protein-rich foods: milk, cheese, turkey, chicken, red meat, fish, oatmeal, beans, lentils, nuts, and eggs.
Tryptophan is broken down in the brain and liver to make serotonin.
Serotonin:Serotonin is a “feel good” brain chemical that helps you feel satisfied. Serotonin is turned into melatonin in the brain.
Melatonin:Melatonin is a hormone in the brain that helps you feel sleepy.
Pair a tryptophan-rich food with a carbohydrate to enhance this sleepy effect. When you consume carbohydrates, your pancreas produces insulin to process the carbohydrates. Insulin helps move other amino acids (not tryptophan) into the muscles. The remaining tryptophan is more concentrated and has an easier time getting into the brain.
Avoidfoods high in sugar or refined carbohydrates just before bed. The rise in blood sugar can provide a burst of energy that keeps you alert and makes it difficult to go to sleep.
Avoidfoods that are likely to cause acid reflux (heartburn), gas, cramping, or indigestion if you are prone to these problems. Fatty or spicy foods, beans, garlic, peanuts, and dairy may cause discomfort for some people.
Other Nutrition Tips for Sleep
B-Vitamins
Not having enough can impair sleep. Good sources of B-vitamins include:
* Animal products: fish, poultry, meat, eggs, or dairy
* Beans and lentils
* Fruits and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, papayas, oranges, and cantaloupe
* Fortified breakfast cereals and enriched soy or rice milk
Calcium & Magnesium
Not having enough of these minerals can make sleep more difficult. These minerals have a calming effect on the brain. They help manage anxiety during the day and support relaxation at bedtime.
Good Sources of Calcium
* Milk, yogurt and cheese
* Tofu and soy products
* Dark leafy greens
* Salmon and sardines
* Beans
* Calcium-enriched foods
Good Sources of Magnesium
* Dark leafy greens
* Nuts, seeds and dried fruit
* Beans and lentils
* Whole grains
* Avocados and bananas
* Dark chocolate
* Yogurt
* Fish
If you think you are not getting enough vitamins or minerals from foods, talk to your doctor or a dietitian. Ask about taking vitamin and/or mineral supplements. When possible, try to consume nutrients from food.
Avoid Fluids an Hour before Bed
Drink your last beverage at least an hour before you plan to fall asleep. Your body processes slow when you are sleeping. The kidneys concentrate urine and you should not have an urge to urinate until you wake up. If you drink fluids right before you go to bed, you may need to use the bathroom during sleep time.
Make sure to avoid alcohol and beverages with caffeine or a lot of sugar (including juice) before going to bed. Chances are you will need to wake up to use the bathroom.
Sleep & Weight Management
Sleep has an important role in metabolism. Not getting enough sleep can affect your appetite and make it harder to manage your blood sugar.
More insulin is needed in sleep-deprived people to have a normal blood sugar level. Overuse of insulin in the body can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.
Being sleep deprived also triggers ghrelin-a hunger hormone. Ghrelin increases appetite, especially for sweets, salty foods, and starches. Another hormone, leptin, decreases when you are sleep-deprived. Leptin helps your body know when you are full.
Anxiety and negative feelings (also increased by a lack of sleep) can lead you to eat unhealthy snacks and overeat “comfort foods.” Not getting enough sleep can make it hard for you to manage your weight and can lead to serious health problems.
Exercise to Enhance Sleep
Regular aerobic exercise (three to four days per week) can help you sleep better. People with insomnia tend to lead more sedentary lives.
Exercise Benefits:
* Weight management
* Positive body image and improved self-esteem
* Decreased anxiety, stress, and depression
* Improved mood and energy
* Improved health and sense of well-being
* Reduced pain
* Relieved muscle tension
After your body has worked hard, deep sleep is triggered to help your body recover, repair, and get ready for more activity. This natural drive helps you fall asleep and spend more time in deep sleep.
Outdoor physical activity increases exposure to sunlight. This helps to strengthen your body’s circadian rhythm. A stronger circadian rhythm helps you feel sleepy.
The calming effect of exercise can last at least four hours after the exercise is over. This helps manage anxiety that may be keeping your mind awake.
When you get caught in a cycle of poor sleep, low energy and anxiety may reduce your desire to exercise. By not exercising, though, insomnia may worsen.
All Physical Activity Has Benefits
Find ways to move more throughout the day. Set an alarm on your watch or phone to get up every hour if sitting. Stretch and walk for a few minutes to get more oxygen flowing through your body.
View physical activity as a break from your day. Use this time to focus on the present, instead of past or future problems and worries.
Activity Ideas
* Home care and cleaning
* Mowing the lawn with a non-riding mower
* Painting, gardening, or raking leaves
* Climbing stairs
* Playing actively with children
* Washing the car, windows or floors
* Pushing a stroller
* Walking briskly
* Bicycling for pleasure or transportation
* Basketball, softball, or tennis
* Running
* Racquetball
* Using a treadmill, stair master, or elliptical
* Aerobics
* Golf, fishing, or canoeing
* Day hiking or backpacking
* Swimming
* Table tennis
* Skiing
Tips to Enjoy Physical Activity
* Plan a variety of physical activities for your week. Avoid getting bored with the same activity.
* Focus on what you are doing, your breathing, posture, movement, etc. Avoid worrying about stressors or what you need to do later.
* Practice goal setting each time you exercise. For example, set a target for the distance you want to walk.
* Repeat positive sayings to combat excuses and negative thoughts.
* Connect with family and friends while you exercise. Instead of meeting for coffee or lunch, suggest meeting for a walk at a park. Play a game in the backyard to spend time with your kids or partner. Friends can keep you on track and help you manage stress.
* Walk at the mall during colder months. Malls often open early to allow walking.
* Listen to music that helps you focus on exercise and takes your mind off of stress and worries.
* Join a group class for a fun, social way to move or to learn a new form of exercise.
Exercise Your Mind
Boredom during wake time can reduce sleep drive and may lead to spending more time in bed (to “fill time”). Stimulate your mind to increase your sleep drive.
* Take a class, learn to use a new technology, learn a new hobby, read a book, or travel.
* Connect with an old friend or write a letter.
Exercise and Bedtime
Physical activity increases adrenaline in the body. This hormone increases your heart rate and alertness. Plan vigorous exercise at least four to six hours before bedtime. Light exercise and mild activities should end at least two to four hours before bedtime.
Sleep Helps You Recover from Exercise
Physical activity triggers a cycle of muscle break-down and repair. The repair process depends on sleep. Without enough sleep, repair is limited. This can increase the risk of injury and limit athletic goals (e.g., running or walking further or lifting more weight).
Severe sleep restriction (less than four hours per night) can cause dramatic increases in your heart rate and blood pressure. This strains your heart. Not only does this limit your ability to exercise, but your risk for heart attack and cardiovascular problems increases.
