What can I eat to help me sleep well? Recommended sleep-stimulating foods

It is said that spring does not sleep, and spring should be the season to sleep soundly. Falling asleep in the scent of flowers, waking up to the singing of birds, taking a walk in the garden, eating a nutritious breakfast, and then energizing yourself to work and study – this is how many people should live happily. However, in modern society, even in spring, countless people are plagued by insomnia, tossing and turning, and even opening their eyes to count sheep until dawn. Many people who are prone to insomnia ask: Is diet related to sleep? What are the considerations when planning meals? That's a good question.

The nutrients in food may indeed have an impact on sleep, is it easy to fall asleep by eating more protein, or is it easy to fall asleep by eating more carbohydrates? Eat more and fall asleep with higher calories, or eat less and reduce calories and fall asleep? Here is a brief report for you.

When eating more fat, total sleep time may decrease

Most studies have found that when eating more fat, total sleep time may decrease.

For example, a follow-up survey of more than 7,7 people in China found that high fat intake seems to be associated with shorter sleep duration. People who consume the most fat are more likely to sleep less than 9 hours a day. People who consume less fat will have a greater proportion of being able to sleep up to <>-<> hours. Foreign researchers in the study of middle-aged and elderly people have also found a similar situation, fat intake, cholesterol intake, short sleep time. Obese people tend to sleep shorter, which may also be related to a preference for fatty foods.

In addition, the timing of fat intake may also be important. Studies have found that the intake of high-fat foods before sleeping at night seems to have a greater impact on sleep quality, prolonging the time to fall asleep, reducing REM sleep time, and increasing night awakening time.

Eating tryptophan-rich foods at night may be good for sleep

Studies have found that under the premise of a high GI diet, increased protein intake shortens sleep duration, increases wakefulness before sleep and after waking up, and is less likely to be sleepy. This may indicate that protein intake in the morning is conducive to wakefulness, while protein intake in the evening may cause good spirits before bed and not wanting to fall asleep.

Tryptophan is a sleep-related amino acid because it converts into serotonin, a calming neurotransmitter in animals. At the same time, tryptophan is also one of the raw materials for the synthesis of melatonin.

However, if you eat a large amount of protein food for dinner, it tends to increase the number of larger neutral amino acids such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine, while the proportion of tryptophan tends to decline and the amount entering the brain barrier decreases, which may reduce the synthesis efficiency of serotonin and melatonin.

Therefore, consuming foods rich in tryptophan at night may be a way to eat that is conducive to sleep. An earlier study found that supplementing with whey protein with additional tryptophan at dinner made the brain more awake and sleepy in the morning. There are also several studies that have found that if you increase the proportion of carbohydrates in dinner, you can also increase the ratio of tryptophan to other hydrophobic amino acids in the blood, which is likely to be conducive to sleep; Conversely, if you eat a lot of high-protein foods such as meat, it will reduce the proportion of tryptophan in the blood, so that people do not want to sleep.

Studies have found that carbohydrates with high GI improve sleep

Previous studies have found that a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet is associated with shorter sleep duration. Studies in athletes have found that carbohydrate supplementation is associated with improved sleep efficiency and less sleep time to restore exercise fatigue.

Since then, some studies have also confirmed that high-GI carbohydrate foods can improve sleep quality.

However, some studies have found that carbohydrate foods with high and low GI do not have significant differences in sleep indicators, and that consuming more carbohydrates during the day will lead to more sleepiness before bed and after waking up.

From the mechanism analysis, the hypnotic effect of high GI carbohydrates may be related to its insulin effect. Carbohydrate foods with high GI can increase insulin levels while increasing the intake of branched-chain amino acids in muscle tissue, helping to build muscle while also reducing the entry of these amino acids into the brain, thereby increasing the proportion of tryptophan entering the brain and increasing melatonin synthesis, thereby facilitating sleep.

Simply put, it is the high-GI carb food that stimulates insulin, which sends branched-chain amino acids into the muscles and tryptophan into the brain, increasing melatonin synthesis and making people want to sleep more. Those who are sensitive to melatonin, and those who secrete a lot of insulin after meals, may feel a little more pronounced.

However, consuming a lot of carbohydrates during the day can also lead to feelings of drowsiness. Therefore, the relationship between carbohydrates and sleep should also take into account the time of ingestion, as well as the influence of protein, dietary fiber and other components in addition to carbohydrates.

One of the symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency is insomnia

It has been discovered decades ago that vitamin B6 is important for sleep. This vitamin helps convert tryptophan to serotonin. In fact, one of the symptoms of vitamin B5 deficiency is easy insomnia.

Vitamin B12 is associated with the normal functioning of circadian rhythms, which affects melatonin levels. Studies have found that vitamin B12 intake in the morning can increase wakefulness. Folic acid and vitamin B12 work in synergy, and they are both vitamins needed for central nervous system regulation. Folate deficiency increases the risk of insomnia and restless legs syndrome, so doctors may recommend taking folic acid and vitamin B12 at the same time to treat insomnia.

In addition, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin D deficiencies are all associated with poor sleep. When vitamin D is insufficient, the synthesis of serotonin is disrupted, and sleep is shortened at night and drowsiness is more likely during the day.

Among minerals, calcium, magnesium, and zinc may help. In particular, calcium and magnesium are more likely to occur anxiety and tension when they are deficient, so supplementing them is conducive to improving sleep quality.

What foods are good for better sleep?

Foods found to be beneficial for improving sleep include tart cherries, kiwi fruit, bananas, milk, etc.

Some of these foods contain melatonin, while others are rich in serotonin or tryptophan. For example, tart cherries are rich in melatonin, while bananas have more serotonin. The serotonin content in bananas is related to ripeness. With the natural maturation process, melatonin levels rise; But once overripe, the content will drop again. The content of the banana peel part is several times that of the pulp.

Here is another drink that may have a sleep-inducing effect: hot milk with maltose. It's easy: wrap the maltose (sticks or chunks) in a clean cloth or kitchen paper and mash it. Then add a spoonful to the hot milk and stir well. People who are lactose intolerant can use lactose-free milk.

If you don't want to drink milk, there are also the following options: for example, a small bowl of traditional lily lotus seed millet porridge, it is best to add a piece of vitamin B6; Another example is a smaller banana or two kiwis.

In summary, according to the current mainstream research evidence, the relationship between nutrients and sleep is roughly like this:

1. Consuming too much fat is not conducive to sleeping, especially at night it is best to eat less greasy.

2. Intake of more protein will make people more awake and sleep short at night, but it is not easy to be sleepy during the day. So you can eat more protein in the morning and noon, and eat less in the evening.

3. Eating more carbohydrates will make people sleep longer, especially eating high-GI carbohydrate foods at night will make people fall asleep faster. However, eating too many high-GI carbohydrates during the day also risks making people feel drowsy. So you can eat less carbohydrates at noon and eat more in the evening.

4. Vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, vitamin C, and vitamin E all seem to be beneficial in helping prevent insomnia. However, supplementing them when lacking helps and does not mean that the more you eat, the better. Fruits and vegetables and whole grain beans are good for getting enough B vitamins, and exposure to sunlight gives you vitamin D.

5. Calcium and magnesium are beneficial to relieve anxiety and tension, so supplementing them is conducive to improving sleep quality. Eating more leafy greens, tofu, and dairy products is good for adequate calcium and magnesium intake.

Foods such as millet and milk, because of the higher proportion of tryptophan in their proteins, are more conducive to improving amino acid balance and conducive to sleep than foods such as meat.

Text/Fan Zhihong (Director of Chinese Nutrition Society, Chief Expert of Science Communication Hired by China Association for Science and Technology)