This post is part of a series on sleep based on a Face & Body Southeast Spa Expo and Conference presentation given by Trish Greene of Balnea Spa Products.
Read the previous posts in this series:
Sleep Better Series – What’s the Big Deal?
Sleep Better Series – The Basics
Sleep Better Series – The Effect of Light on Sleep
Smart Food Choices = Better Sleep
So following this series on sleep here are some things we can do to help our sleep patterns with food.
- Eat 3 nutritious meals a day.
- Have a slice of turkey or chicken, or a banana before heading to bed. These foods contain tryptophan, an amino acid that’s used to make serotonin. And serotonin is a brain chemical that helps you sleep.
- Carbohydrates help tryptophan enter the brain. Try a glass of warm milk (milk contains tryptophan) and a cookie, or warm milk with a spoonful of honey.
- Eliminate or restrict stimulants such as caffeine.
- Avoid big meals late in the evening. You need three to four hours to digest a big meal.
- Spicy or sugary food, even at suppertime, is usually a bad idea. Spices can irritate your stomach, and when it tosses and turns, so will you. Having a lot of sugary food, especially chocolate which contains caffeine, can make you feel jumpy.
- Avoid alcohol. It interferes with Melatonin levels. It may help you fall asleep but it also causes you to wake up in the middle of the night.
- A handful of granola can be a good bedtime snack.
- Trish didn’t mention a herbal tea but that can also help.
Somehow I need to figure out how to eat dinner 3 to 4 hours before I go to bed at 10 pm. And on salsa nights that schedule just gets out of whack!
Our next post in this series will talk about natural remedies for sleep.
This information was given by Trish Greene of Balnea Spa Products. She is a Board Certified Aromatherapist, Dr of Homeopathy and a Cidesco trained Esthetician. She practices in Canada and has been an Eve Taylor rep for 25 years.
All the crazy legalize stuff I need to say. Consult your physician before taking anything suggested in this informational piece. I am not a Doctor, I am simply sharing the interesting information that I learned at a recent class. Do anything at your own risk, use common sense, and try to get some healthy sleep. No one is responsible for the choices you make except for yourself. None of us are responsible for anything you choose to do on your own accord.
