Experts have revealed various types of food that promote improved sleep. (Image: Getty)
Difficulty sleeping is common, and various factors including stress, temperature, and lighting can play a role, but experts say diet can have a big impact on your ability to get a good night’s rest.
Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, head sleep expert at sleep analysis firm Wesper, insists important to learn about how different dishes affect the body.
“Food choice is an essential consideration for ensuring good sleep quality,” she told Fox News Digital. “Some types of food promote sleep while others may cause sleep disruption.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Raj Dasgupta, chief medical adviser at Calfornia mattress company Sleepopolis, says your food choices could be behind your inability to drift off, and could be the culprit for late-night bouts of heartburn, indigestion, or acid reflux.
Restlessness or stomach discomfort can also be a sign of your diet impacting your dozing, as is waking up feeling unrested or groggy or needing frequent bathroom breaks at night.
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Bananas can also help promote a good night’s rest, according to experts. (Image: Getty)
“Having intense dreams or nightmares or noticing changes in your usual sleep routine” could also be indiciations that your food intake is having a negative affect on your sleep, the expert said.
He added: “Paying attention to these cues can help you figure out if certain foods or drinks are messing with your sleep quality, so you can make adjustments as needed for better rest.”
The best foods to promote quality sleep
Dr Rohrscheib says foods that encourage improved sleep include meals that have a healthy amount of lean protein, are rich in complex carbohydrates, and are high in fibre.
“This food combination keeps us feeling full and satisfied throughout the night and prevents us from waking up from hunger,” she said, adding it also “reduces the risk of indigestion and heartburn.”
Foods with dairy are especially beneficial, says Dr Rohrscheib, as they contain the amino acid tryptophan, which is essential for producing the chemicals serotonin and melatonin, both of which are needed for sleep.
Dr Dasgupta identified warm milk for those looking to get a recharging kip, saying “its tryptophan content and comforting warmth, can help you relax”.
People who are lactose-intolerant can have warm almond milk instead. Turkey is also rich in tryptophan, Dasgupta noted.
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Greek yogurt or kiwis are thought to be go-tos if you’re looking for some proper shuteye. (Image: Getty)
According to Dasgupta, bananas can also be a sleep-friendly snack as they contain magnesium and tryptophan, “which can help you relax and boost production of sleep-inducing hormones.”
Meanwhile, almonds are also a good source of magnesium for muscle relaxation; and contain protein and healthy fats to help keep your blood sugar levels stable.
“Cherries contain natural melatonin, potentially helping to regulate your sleep-wake cycles,” he said.
Oatmeal is another one to try, as “its complex carbohydrates increase serotonin levels, while its melatonin content helps to regulate sleep.”
Kiwis were also identified as a sleep-friendly fruit, as it is “loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and serotonin, all of which support sleep pattern regulation.”
Greek yogurt is also recommended for improved sleep, owing to the fact that its calcium content assists the body’s use of tryptophan to produce melatonin, and the protein in it helps maintain your blood sugar levels.
Oatmeal’s complex carbohydrates “increase serotonin levels, while its melatonin content helps to regulate sleep,” Dasgupta said. (Image: Getty)
Meals that can disrupt your sleep
Rohrscheib says other foods are known to be more likely to cause heartburn and indigestion, making winding down more difficult.
She said: “This includes foods with high fat or acid content, foods containing caffeine, or spicy foods.”
Experts also warn about eating spicy or heavy foods before going to bed as they can cause acid reflux, stomach discomfort, and heartburn.
Dasgupta explained: “Greasy or heavy meals take longer to digest, which can leave you feeling uncomfortable and disrupt your sleep.”
It’s also best to avoid alcohol, as, “while it might seem like a nightcap, it messes with your sleep cycles, leading to worse sleep quality.”
Rohrscheib also warned against eating highly processed foods, or things that contain high amounts of sugar – as they can trigger a rapid spike in your glucose levels and increase the risk of hypoglycemia, otherwise known as a “blood sugar crash.”
“When we’re hypoglycemic, our brain will attempt to wake us up to eat more food to normalize our blood glucose levels,” she told Fox News Digital. “Thus, these foods should be avoided before bedtime.”
“Consuming too much and making yourself over-full is likely to make you uncomfortable and cause poor sleep quality.”
Dasgupta added that processed or junk foods, “loaded with additives and unhealthy fats” can also “throw off your sleep patterns”.
Both experts agreed that the size of the meal is also important factor where sleep is concerned.
“Regardless of the type of meal you eat, consuming too much and making yourself over-full is likely to make you uncomfortable and cause poor sleep quality,” Rohrscheib said.