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Insomnia Guide
Diet And An Insomnia Cure
What you eat during the day and evening can affect your sleeping patterns. If your diet consists of a high amount of processed foods you may want to try eating more wholesome products.
You may want to eliminate, reduce, or substitute the amount of sugars, fats, and preservatives from your daily intake of food. This may benefit your ability to fall asleep at night as well as improve your general health.
Eat a well balanced diet by following the recommended daily food allowance.
Make sure you are meeting the daily requirements for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Eat complex carbohydrates and choose protein that is low in fat. You can also choose healthy meat substitutes, such at tofu and vegetarian burgers.
Become aware of any food allergies that you have and try to avoid them. If your body is allergic to certain foods it may affect the way you think and feel.
This could also be a contributing factor to your sleep problem. Some common food allergies that are known to contribute to sleeplessness arise out of eating foods based upon corn, dairy products, wheat, and chocolate.
Try to schedule your last evening meal at least four hours before bedtime. Eat a healthy, well balanced meal. Try not to overeat as this may cause you to become tired after your meal.
You also want to avoid feeling tired or napping in the early evening hours, as this will greatly hinder your ability to fall asleep at bedtime. As well, try to eat enough so that you do not feel hungry later and find yourself reaching for those all too convenient high fat or sugar foods.
If you find that you do feel hungry before bedtime you may find that a small snack an hour or two before going to bed will help. If you do snack though, avoid high protein foods and foods containing fats and sugars.
You should also stay away from foods that are too heavy or spicy. Try a bit of cereal and milk or one serving of low-fat yogurt. You need to provide your body with a bit of nourishment to avoid hunger pangs, while at the same time ensuring that you do not overindulge in your evening snack.
You should also ensure that you drink sufficient water during the day. Studies show that your daily recommended water intake should be around 8 glasses, or 2 litres (4.23 US pints).
If your body is well hydrated it won't signal you to wake up during the night. Try to avoid drinking water or other liquids one hour before bedtime if you find that you need to get up frequently during the night to visit the bathroom.
The healthier your diet the more balanced you will feel, both physically and emotionally.
The information contained here should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider.
The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and in no way should be considered as an offering of medical advice.
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