Sleep, Eat, Repeat

I’m going to start by telling you something I’ve already told you: every system in your body is affected by what you eat. Period. No exceptions. 

Some of that is fairly obvious – as in, most of us have heard of foods that contribute to heart disease, and other foods that protect against it. Same with cancer. Same with type 2 diabetes.

 But you might not know what that looks like when it comes to sleep.

Sleep and nutrition are inextricably linked. And, it’s a bidirectional relationship. What you eat affects how well you sleep. How well you sleep affects your food choices the next day. You see how this could turn into a vicious cycle if you’re not careful?

Have you ever noticed how when you’re tired from lack of sleep, you find yourself going for more carbs or snacks with sugar? It isn’t just that you think sugar will give you quick energy. It goes deeper. There are actually physiological changes that take place in your body that cause you to eat more calories, snack more often, and gravitate toward sweets and other junk food. 

Sleep is an important component in regulating two hormones that control the appetite center in your brain: ghrelin and leptin. Where ghrelin is the hormone that signals hunger, leptin is the one that tells you when you’re full. Poor or not enough sleep throws that whole system out of whack leading to more hunger and an increased preference for sweet foods.

The effect in men and women is a little different. For men, sleep deprivation causes an increase in ghrelin – so, more hunger. Women lose the “signal” to stop eating. Either way, the end result is the same.

Studies also show that lack of sleep alters the brain’s response to food, causing the reward centers to be activated by foods like candy, pizza, and doughnuts more than by healthy foods like fruit, veggies, and yogurt, causing even more cravings.

Aside from altering food preferences and hunger levels, sleep plays an important role in blood sugar control. Even one night of partial sleep deprivation or sleeping in a room that’s too bright reduces your body’s ability to control your blood sugar the next day.

Convinced yet?

The good – and kind of ironic – news is that what you eat during the day can have a huge impact on how well you sleep at night. So, how can you improve your sleep to stave off diet sabotage? 

We’ve all heard of foods that are thought to help us get some ZZZs – warm milk and turkey among them because they contain tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep. Turns out it’s a little more complicated than that. Instead of trying to load up on tryptophan-containing foods, variety is once again the key. Hmmm. Have you heard that somewhere before?

As a general rule, foods that are high in protein and low in unhealthy fats and sugars can help in the sleep department. Foods high in saturated fat and sugar, but low in fiber do the opposite. More specifically, research is starting to show that the Mediterranean diet might be the way to go. It contains foods that are rich in vitamin D, serotonin, and melatonin which may work together to enhance sleep. It’s also rich in B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium which help keep your circadian rhythm in check. That’s what tells your body when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to sleep.

Here’s another important thing to keep in mind: What goes for us, goes for our kids. 

Too often when people think of changing their diets for health reasons, they think of it as just an adult problem. Truthfully, it’s never too early to get kids into healthy habits. And the sleep-nutrition connection is just as important for them.

It might be easy to tell that your children or teens are sleep deprived from their moods, but the effect on their diets might be less obvious. Keep an eye on what they’re grabbing for. While you’re at it, pay attention to that in yourself, too. If sugar cravings are on the upswing in your house, it might be time for a sleep overhaul. Maybe a diet overhaul, too!

If this article describes you to a T, let’s chat. Healthy sleep is within your reach and I can help you achieve it. Click to request your free session.