2024-03-15 06:30:00
This Friday, March 15, is International Sleep Day: 59% of French people have observed a deterioration in their sleep in recent years. Diet has an influence on the quality of sleep, certain foods are more preferred than others.Sport, shower, stress, screens… Food is not the only one responsible for poor sleep.
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Sleep: dive into the arms of Morpheus
According to the latest study from Odoxa, 59% of French people have observed a deterioration in their sleep in recent years. However, to be in good health and stay fit all day long, it is important not to neglect your sleep. Of course, diet plays a major role. Certain foods make it easier to sleep. While others keep you awake. Here are a few tips.
You may have often been told that you should eat light in the evening: a salad or soup. But that’s not such a good idea. The first thing to have in mind is to “eat enough calories, while ensuring that the meal is balanced”, tells TF1 Info Julien Louis, researcher specializing in sports nutrition at John Moores University in Liverpool. Indeed, in the event of deficiencies, our body develops strategies to draw on its reserves, thus disrupting sleep.
Diet can increase the production of serotonin (happiness hormone) and melatonin (sleep hormone). This is done through the consumption of meals rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own. Fortunately, it is found in many foods: dairy products, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, dried beans), cereals (oats, soy, corn, rye, sesame, buckwheat), oilseeds (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), bananas, dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa), but also in proteins. However, they have a stimulating effect on the body. “Red meats, in particular, are difficult to digest. You should favor a reasonable portion and rather lean meats like turkey and fatty fish like salmon and sardines”he advises.
Other advice: eat slow sugars, because they help you fall asleep. Opt for starchy foods (rice, pasta, semolina, bread, potatoes, etc.) and fruits. Their interesting content of vitamins and minerals helps fight against deficiencies which can be responsible for sleep disorders. As surprising as it may seem, kiwi can help you fall asleep thanks to its serotonin content. You can also rely on a hot liquid before bed, such as a sweet herbal tea. It is a natural solution to slightly lower your temperature and thus make it easier to fall asleep. Be careful, it is better “Stop drinking an hour before bedtime to avoid getting up at night to go to the toilet. I therefore advise against having a bottle of water on your bedside table”. And for athletes, it is recommended to take “a small snack like yogurt, a glass of milk or a protein shake, one hour before bed for better quality sleep”suggests Julien Louis.
You should also not neglect the meal schedule. “The body likes to have a routine. Regularity works best. You just have to find a balancecertifies the specialist. Don’t eat too early, as you may wake up at night because you are hungry. Nor too late, since you will have difficulty falling asleep due to digestion. This causes a rise in body temperature, which is harmful to sleep., he explains. Ideally, you should eat dinner two to three hours before going to bed, if possible at regular times.
Avoid fatty and exciting foods
“We all have anecdotes and memories of being heavy and not being able to fall asleep well after a hearty meal”, he remembers. Indeed, eating copious amounts of fatty foods in the evening is bad for falling asleep, because difficult digestion makes sleep restless. To sleep well, forget pizzas, burgers, cold meats, fatty meats, chips and industrial cakes. Cooked fats, especially fried foods, but also cabbage and fermented foods like sauerkraut, can lead to bloating and thus impair the quality of sleep. Some spices also help raise body temperature and cause heartburn.
Avoid all exciting foods like coffee, tea, and most energy or cola drinks. Due to its caffeine content, coffee stimulates the nervous system for up to six hours after consumption. It fragments sleep and induces micro-arousals. Alcohol should also be limited. If it initially promotes falling asleep thanks to the relaxation of muscle tone, it then induces a secretion of adrenaline during the night, therefore instability of sleep. In addition, alcohol is an aggravating factor in nocturnal respiratory problems (apnea, snoring).
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Other factors can disrupt sleep
But as Julien Louis reminds us, “There is little scientific data on the subject and it is difficult to isolate diet as the sole cause of poor sleep. There are other factors, notably physical activity”. It is not recommended to do sports in the evening. For sportive people, “it is possible to take a cold shower after exercise to stimulate the nervous system and promote recoveryhe assures. 15 to 20 minutes before bedtime, take a hot shower, not too hot, to warm the body, put it to sleep as quickly as possible and afterwards, this will further help the body cool down.” Consider refreshing your room in the evening. It has to be “a cool environment between 17 and 19 degrees” et “a quiet, dark place”.
Stress can also cause difficulty falling asleep and cause insomnia. Mindfulness meditation or self-hypnosis are practices that can help reduce your stress level before going to sleep. Finally, stop using screens an hour before going to bed. They produce blue light which activates photosensitive light receptors up to 100 times more than white light. They thus disrupt our natural rhythm and reduce our sleep time. If sleep problems persist, consult a doctor or dietitian.
Emma FORTON
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