Sleep is an essential aspect of our lives that affects our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. While there are several factors that influence the quality of our sleep, our diet is often considered to be a crucial aspect. However, there are several dietary myths related to sleep that are not supported by scientific evidence. Let’s explore dietary myths that have no impact on your sleep cycle. Dr. Manoj Kutteri, CEO & Medical Director, Atmantan Wellness Centre and Tanisha Bawa, Certified Nutrition Coach, Founder of TAN|365 debunk these myths and provide insights into how diet impacts our sleep patterns.
Myth 1: Eating A Meal High On Carbs and Proteins Before Bed Will Cause Insomnia
Truth: Many people believe that eating before bed can cause insomnia or disrupted sleep. While it’s true that a heavy meal before bedtime can cause discomfort and disturbs your good sleep, a light balanced meal will promote sleep by providing the body with the necessary nutrients to promote relaxation. Many also believe that one must not have carbs or a protein rich diet for dinner. There is no evidence to support the claim that a high-carb or high protein diet causes insomnia. While it is true that consuming too much carbohydrates can raise your blood sugar and interfere with the melatonin secretions, eating some of the complex carbohydrates in moderate portions can help promote sleep with the release of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Hence, it’s important to focus on consuming complex carbohydrates and avoid foods that are high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, which can interfere with sleep. Similarly, consuming protein can also help with sleep by increasing serotonin and reducing cortisol levels, the hormones responsible to give you good sleep.
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Myth 2: Alcohol helps You Sleep Better
Truth: Alcohol being a sedative in action, can initially make you feel drowsy and relaxed, but this is outweighed by the negative effect on sleep quality through the night. In the long run, this can actually disrupt your sleep. Alcohol interferes with the natural circadian rhythm or sleep cycle, causing you to spend more time in lighter stages of sleep and less time in deeper, restorative stages of sleep. This can result in to poor sleep quality and leave you feeling groggy and tired the next day.
Myth 3: Go to Bed Hungry for better sleep
Truth: You might have experienced that despite going to bed being hungry, you wake up feeling full. The reason behind this is that while we go for longer period of abstinence from food, our body releases glucose from the glycogen storage in the liver. This is to help the body maintain blood sugar during the sleep overnight. This safety mechanism in the body helps to prevent any sudden drop in sugar leading to restlessness while asleep. In order to support this process, it is better to have a healthy light snack before you go to bed.
Myth: Drinking coffee after dinner to aid digestion
Truth: Caffeine delays the onset of adenosine which makes you feel tired throughout the day. It also delays the onset of GABA i.e. a neurotransmitter that leaves you feeling calm and ready for bed. Hence, ensure to not consume caffeine late in the evening.
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