One third of one’s life is spent in sleep. Some people say that “sleeping is a waste of time, and a good youth has gone to sleep”. In fact, it is not. Only by sleeping well in this one-third of the time can you live longer, better and more colorful in the other two-thirds of the time. Insomnia is one of the most common problems of office workers. One in three adults has occasional insomnia and one in 10 adults has long-term insomnia. The study found that sleep time is related to weight, and people who sleep less are more likely to get fat.
What are the substances in food
Produce “sleep aid” effect?
Among the relevant nutrients, L-tryptophan is the most studied. After entering the body, this amino acid will be converted into two chemicals related to sleep: 1 Melatonin helps regulate the sleep cycle; 2. Serotonin has a relaxing effect.
Foods containing large amounts of tryptophan include poultry, egg protein, soybeans, low-fat dairy products, black sesame, walnuts, almonds, etc.
So, can eating more of these foods help sleep? It’s not that simple.
The systematic review analysis in recent 20 years found that the clinical conclusion of tryptophan in the treatment of insomnia is not unified and inconclusive, and more controlled clinical studies are needed. In other words: some people eat effective, some people ineffective. Scientists have no confidence in telling you the exact answer to who works and how much they eat.
The effect of food on sleep improvement is uncertain and varies from person to person. Everyone has different genes and metabolism. There is no harm in eating nutritious food, but don’t expect it to be effective. Healthy food should be eaten, but you can’t eat too much. Eating too much has no effect. In fact, eating too much of any kind of food is not good. For example, drinking hot milk does make me sleep better than drinking coffee. If certain foods are useful to you, such as drinking a cup of hot milk an hour before going to bed and you sleep soundly, keep this habit.
These foods may keep you awake
Although there is insufficient evidence of sleeping food, there is solid evidence of eating methods that make you sleep hard.
Drink caffeinated drinks before going to bed
People who don’t sleep well are generally advised to avoid caffeine within 6 hours before going to bed. The stimulant effect of caffeine may take several hours to disappear;
Eat foods with high content of saturated fat and sugar within 2 hours before going to bed
In particular, it is recommended that people who have difficulty sleeping and light sleep should not eat food with high oil and sugar for dinner;
Eat spicy food before going to bed
Drink too much water before going to bed
How can sleep quality be good when I always go to the bathroom at night?
Drinking before going to bed
Although alcohol can make some people drowsy, it can also reduce the quality of sleep, such as deep sleep, shallow sleep and easy to wake up at night.
“Physical” methods can also be used to help sleep
Still that sentence, what works for you is not necessarily effective for others. We can also use other methods, such as hot bath, massage to relax, getting up and going to bed on time, which can also relax and promote sleep. Of course, if you really have serious insomnia, you should go to neurology.
In short, eat healthy food, eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat protein, maintain a healthy weight and exercise properly. Work and rest healthily, find the outlet to release pressure, and sleep well. You can never be wrong.
Text / Wang Xiaochun (registered dietitian, China’s top nutritionist)