Food and Diet
Diet plays a crucial role in treating sleep disorders, and it's essential to investigate potential food intolerances as a root cause. In a study involving infants, eliminating cow's milk from their diet eliminated sleeplessness, which was then reinstated when cow's milk was reintroduced.
Certain foods can either promote or inhibit sleep.
Foods to Eat
- Chlorophyll-rich foods, such as leafy green vegetables (steamed or boiled).
- Microalgae like chlorella and spirulina.
- Oyster shell supplements, available in health food stores.
- Whole grains, including whole wheat, brown rice, and oats, have a calming effect on the nervous system and promote better sleep. Carbohydrates also boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids sleep.
- Mushrooms (all types).
- Fruits, especially mulberries and lemons, known for their calming effects on the mind.
- Seeds, such as jujube seeds for calming the spirit and supporting the heart. Chia seeds also have a sedative effect.
- Dill.
- Basil.
Foods high in complex carbohydrates like bread, bagels, and crackers have a mild sleep-enhancing effect due to their ability to increase serotonin levels in the brain, promoting sleep.
A glass of warm milk with honey is a classic and effective remedy for insomnia. Milk contains tryptophan, which, when converted to serotonin in the body, induces sleep and prevents wakefulness.
Lettuce has a long-standing reputation for promoting healthy sleep. This is due to an opium-related substance combined with traces of the anti-cramping agent hyoscyarnin found in lettuce. Including lettuce in your evening diet, along with legumes, peanuts, nutritional yeast, fish, or poultry, all of which contain vitamin B3 (niacin), can support serotonin synthesis and healthy sleep. Mixing lettuce juice with a bit of lemon juice for flavor creates an effective sleep-inducing beverage, preferred over synthetic sleeping pills.
Foods to Avoid
- Coffee.
- Tea.
- Spicy foods.
- Cola.
- Chocolate.
- Stimulant drugs.
- Alcohol.
- Refined carbohydrates (they deplete B vitamins).
- Additives.
- Preservatives.
- Non-organic foods containing pesticides.
- Canned foods or sources of toxicity or heavy metals.
- Sugar and foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, as they can raise blood sugar levels and disrupt sleep.
- Foods that can cause gas, heartburn, or indigestion, such as fatty or spicy foods, garlic-flavored foods, beans, cucumbers, and peanuts.
- Foods high in protein, like meat, which can inhibit sleep by blocking serotonin synthesis, making you feel more alert.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG), often found in Chinese food, which can cause a stimulant reaction in some individuals.
- Avoid cigarettes and tobacco. While smoking may seem calming, nicotine is actually a neurostimulant and can disrupt sleep.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine for healthy sleep. Eliminate caffeine in all forms (tea, coffee, cola, chocolate).
The sensitivity to caffeine's stimulant effects varies widely among individuals, often depending on how quickly the body metabolizes caffeine. Even small amounts of caffeine, such as those found in decaffeinated coffee or chocolate, can cause insomnia in some people.
Alcohol can have several sleep-disrupting effects. Besides releasing adrenaline, it hinders the transport of tryptophan into the brain, which is essential for serotonin production (a vital neurotransmitter for initiating sleep), disrupting serotonin levels.
Avoid consuming excessive ingredients in a meal, especially late at night.