A sleep researcher has revealed which foods you eat before bed are ruining your sleep.
Dr. Cheri Mah of San Francisco, California, a professor at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, spoke with Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett on his podcast The Diary Of a CEO.
The mother of one explained that if you want to optimize your sleep, you should avoid alcohol, caffeine, fried foods, sugary carbohydrates and tomato-based foods before bedtime as these can cause heartburn.
She said: “What we eat can affect our sleep… the stages of sleep or how we sleep at night. Some small studies have shown that what we eat can affect waking up more often during the night, which in turn affects the quality of sleep.”
“I think we are beginning to understand the connection between what we eat and how our gut responds to it.Then learn how this may affect your sleep and ultimately your daily performance the next day.
Dr. Cheri Mah of San Francisco, California, revealed on the podcast “The Diary Of a CEO” which foods you eat before bed that destroy your sleep and said that school starts too early for teenagers.
“But we We know from studies on sleep deprivation that people make different eating choices and reach for cookies and ice cream later in the evening than if they were well rested.’
Dr Cheri revealed that there are ways to unwind before bed and sleep better, and the key is to slow down the “racing mind.”
She said: “I would recommend that you spend ten minutes each night outside of bed in dim light to process your thoughts. You could do stretching and deep breathing exercises to activate your parasympathetic system and depress your sympathetic system.”
Your parasympathetic nervous system is a network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger.
The sympathetic system is best known for its role in responding to dangerous or stressful situations.
After a stressful situation, the parasympathetic system basically negates the work of the sympathetic part.
She added: “That’s what I recommend to a lot of my athletes. If that’s not your thing, I recommend keeping a journal and putting your thoughts on paper or writing a to-do list. These are simple things we can all do, even if you start with five minutes today.
“It’s easier to slowly hit the brakes and then try to sleep than it is to drive 60 mph down the highway and then suddenly slam on the brakes and jump into bed. So you actually have a process to slow down. It will actually help you sleep better at night.’
Dr Cheri spoke to Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett (pictured) on his podcast The Diary Of a CEO
Tips for falling asleep and sleeping better
Insomnia means you have trouble sleeping on a regular basis. Changing your sleeping habits can help you get better.
One in three adults in the UK and almost half of adults in the US suffer from insomnia, and millions more report sleepless nights.
Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety, alcohol, caffeine or nicotine, noise, shift work and jet lag.
If you regularly have trouble sleeping, there are simple ways to improve your sleep hygiene.
Maintain regular sleep times
- Try to go to bed when you are tired and get up at the same time every day.
Create a relaxing space
- Dark, quiet and cool environments generally make it easier to fall asleep and sleep through the night.
Move
- Exercise is good for your physical and mental health. It can also help you sleep better. However, don’t do strenuous exercise too close to bedtime.
Don’t force it
- If you can’t sleep, get up and do something relaxing, then go back to bed when you feel a little more tired.
Write down your worries
- If you find that your worries are keeping you awake at night, try writing them down before going to bed.
Less caffeine
- Alcohol and caffeine can prevent you from falling asleep and sleeping soundly. Cutting down on caffeine and alcoholic beverages close to bedtime may help you sleep.
Source NHS
Dr. Cheri also explained that studies have shown that school actually starts too early for children.
She said: “IIn California, the start of school for high schools and middle schools was significantly delayed for the first time this year because studies show that our students participate better in class when they are more rested.
“Their GPA and grades are much better, there are fewer mental health problems and fewer car accidents. These studies have been conducted over the last decade and beyond and have provided evidence that the decision to start school later is easier.”
“At high school age, many people’s internal clocks are out of whack and students naturally want to go to bed later and get up later.”
“So our sleep changes throughout life. But if they stay up late and then we rob them of sleep by forcing them to get up very early for school, they don’t get enough sleep. This creates a kind of sleep deficit and they have no chance of success in school in terms of learning and memory problems.”
She concluded, “If we can delay the start of school and give these students a little more sleep, they will ultimately be better prepared for school, they will come to school, they will have fewer car accidents and they will just be healthier students.”
