Want to Sleep Better? Avoid These Eating Habits
By Sara Butler
Consistently getting a good night's sleep is about more than simply laying down and catching some Zzz's. It's also about the habits you have throughout the day -- specifically, your eating habits.
The foods you eat impact your sleep. From digestion to blood sugar spikes, if your body is simply too busy breaking down foods you eat during the day and especially before bed, then you likely won't sleep as well or as deep as you need.
If you want to help improve your quantity and quality of sleep, then one of the first things you can do is take a look at the foods you eat throughout the day and bad habits you may have. Here are a few bad habits to avoid to help you get a better night's sleep.
Bad Habit No. 1: Eating Dinner Late
Sometimes, life can get busy and you can end up eating dinner much later than you intended. If that happens from time to time, then it's no big deal. However, eating late regularly before going to bed will keep you from getting the rest your body needs.
Why? Because your body is sending all its energy to break down the food in your intestinal tract instead of restoring your body as you rest. Your stomach should be mostly empty when going to bed so that you can sleep deeper and your body can do what it what made to do when you sleep: rejuvenate and restore.
Plus, eating late can lead to indigestion such as heartburn, which can make it even more difficult to sleep well, keeping you up at night. Try to steer clear of high fat and greasy foods in the hours leading up to bedtime to help you avoid this fate.
Bad Habit No. 2: Eating Too Much Sugar
Sugar, which is essentially a carbohydrate, can make you feel sleepy -- which may seem like a good thing when you're going to bed. The problem is that too much sugar or highly processed carbohydrates throughout the day can cause spikes in your blood sugar that will disrupt the hormones your body uses to sleep and cause you to wake up more during the night. The result is sleep that's less restorative.
Bad Habit No. 3: Drinking Too Much Water Before Bed
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you simply cannot meet your daily water intake goals. Before bed may seem like the perfect time to catch up, but it's really not. This can lead to waking up several times in the night to use the restroom and disrupt your sleep.
Remember, what you eat impacts all aspects of your health. Choose wisely!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Riverside, Calif.