It's not just your meal times that affect your sleep, what you eat matters too

These five foods could be game changers for your sleep

Struggling to wake up from a long sleep actually feeling well rested? You may need to look at your diet.

There’s a big focus on meal times when it comes to bettering our sleep.

You don’t want to eat too close to bedtime to avoid digestive issues, but also don’t want to eat so early that you’re starving again by the time you get under the covers. 

But it’s not just the timing of our meals that affects our sleep; the food we’re eating has an impact too. 

According to Body+Soul’s Sleep Report, 68 per cent of good sleepers claim they eat a good diet of mostly healthy food with balanced nutrition. On the other hand, only 32 per cent of bad sleepers and 43 per cent of those with disrupted sleep believe their diets are ‘good’.

How does nutrition affect our sleep?

Food choices play a huge role in our sleep patterns, and vice versa. 

While we’re already trying to boost our fibre intake and reduce the amount of saturated fats and sugars in our diets to improve our health, low-fibre, high-fat diets have been linked to poor quality sleep. Image: iStock

According to the Sleep Foundation, adults who sleep for less than seven hours each night may feel more hungry and overeat. Their bodies may also struggle to properly break down sugar. 

While we’re already trying to boost our fibre intake and reduce the amount of saturated fats and sugars in our diets to improve our health, low-fibre, high-fat diets have been linked to poor quality sleep, as has a lack of fat, protein and carbohydrates. 

Associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research, Marie-Pierre St-Onge told The Washington Post it could take as little as two weeks to see improvements in our sleep after adopting a diet focused on foods that promote better sleep.

Researchers have found that eating foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan could help us sleep better by synthesising these hormones.

The hormones serotonin and melatonin affect how long we sleep for, how easily we doze off and how restorative our sleep is. 

Researchers have found that eating foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan could help us sleep better by synthesising these hormones. 

So while you’re buying room sprays, silk pillowcases, luxe sheets, body oils and warm-toned lights to help you have a more restful sleep, you may want to add foods high in these three compounds to cart. 

Which foods promote better sleep? Image: iStock

5 foods to eat to improve your sleep quality

#1. Turkey 

Turkey is a good source of tryptophan, as well as protein. 

So while helping your body boost its production of melatonin and serotonin, your high-protein dinner can make you sleepy and limit the number of times you wake throughout the night.

Our favourite treat just keeps getting better. Image: Pexels.

#2. Walnuts

Containing both serotonin and melatonin, many researchers believe walnuts are a great pre-bed snack to boost your sleep quality.

#3. Dark chocolate

Our favourite treat just keeps getting better.

Dark chocolate is high in serotonin and antioxidants, helping us to destress and fall asleep quicker.

Adding more kiwi to your plate could improve your quality of sleep and digestion. Image: Pexels

#4. Kiwi fruit

High in fibre and antioxidants, as well as the feel-good hormone serotonin, adding more kiwi to your plate could improve your quality of sleep and digestion.

#5. Tart cherry juice

Relatively high in melatonin, while also containing magnesium and stress-busting antioxidants, if you can get past the taste, tart cherry juice could make a big difference to your rest.  

Originally published as It's not just your meal times that affect your sleep, what you eat matters too