In a previous blog post, I mentioned that different foods have different effects on your sleeping patterns. I have never personally noticed anything but thats probably because i have not paid too much attention to it. I am curious as to if I eat something spicy how will I sleep if instead I ate something sweet? I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn how these foods effect our sleeping patterns.
According to an article called ” Foods That help or Harm Your Sleep” featured on WebMD, eating something like spicy food can cause you to have heartburn and a restless sleep. The article then states that high protein meals are also something to avoid before bed because protein is hard to digest and when the body is asleep. The digestive system slows down making protein super hard to digest during sleep which will cause a stomach ache and another night of bad sleep. Sugary treats such as ice cream and candy will also hinder sleep. The sugar found within these foods will sometimes cause bad dreams which will also hinder your good night sleep. Although these foods are some to avoid before sleeping, the article also mentions foods that will help you have a good night sleep. Some of these are milk and other dairy products because they are rich in a chemical called Tryptophan which aid in sleep, and carbs because they too have Tryptophan. A good way to test this is to conduct and experimental procedure. Scientists will gather a control groups containing people of all age, race and gender and give them specific foods before they go to sleep. One group will be given something spicy, one will be given sweets and candy, one will be given dairy products such as milk and the last group will have carbs. After eating the groups will go to sleep and the researchers will monitor their brain waves, Serotonin and Melatonin levels and their heart rate. This procedure will either correlate with the hypothesis proving that certain foods effect sleep or it will not correlate and the evidence will state that food doesn’t effect sleep. Although this procedure will be done well, third variables and chance can skew the evidence.
Next time you sneak down into the kitchen for a midnight snack, remember stay away from the spicy and sweet and go for the carbs and dairy.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-sleep-foods