Guide For Managing Insomnia with Right Food And Diet Plan

Are you finding it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep at night? Are you feeling being deprived of normal continuous sleep? Is your disturbed sleep making you feel dull and weak throughout the day? If you replied positively, you might be suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is known to be a common sleep disorder that impacts your quality of life adversely. Adequate sound sleep is crucial to enjoying good health. People suffering from insomnia experience a lack of uninterrupted sleep that hampers their physical and psychological health. Obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetes are some of the health issues that can affect you due to sleeplessness. Fortunately, modifying your diet by adding certain foods and eliminating harmful foods can help you manage insomnia and improve your quality of sleep. Scroll down to find learn more about diet for insomnia.

7 Best Foods to Eat for Insomnia Management:

Check out the list of nutritious foods that help you sleep.

1. Nuts: Eating nuts, such as walnuts, cashews, almonds, and pistachios, promotes good sleep. Nuts are a rich source of melatonin which helps improve your quality of sleep. Also, the abundant mineral content in nuts, such as zinc, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorous, among others, helps you fight insomnia. So, add nuts to your diet to enjoy a sound sleep.

2. Kiwifruit: Kiwifruit, commonly known as the kiwi, is a nutritious fruit that is rich in nutrients. The oval-shaped fruit is rich in vitamin E and C, folate, and potassium. Eating kiwis before you go to bed helps you fall asleep quickly and enjoy a sound sleep. The high concentration of antioxidants and serotonin in kiwis help you establish fixed sleep and wake-up cycle and, thus, prove to be one of the best insomnia solutions.
3. Warm Milk:One of the easily available and best insomnia solutions is warm milk. It comprises sleep-promoting compounds, such as melatonin, tryptophan, vitamin D, and calcium. Low-fat milk is also a nutritious option that helps promote good health along with fighting insomnia. Make it a habit to have a cup of warm milk before going to bed to have uninterrupted sleep.
4. Fatty Fish: Another nutritious food for insomnia managementis fatty fish. People eating fatty fish, such as salmon, can enjoy sound sleep and improved daytime functioning. The intake of fatty fish provides you with a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D which helps you in regulating serotonin.

5. Tart Cherries: Tart cherries contain antioxidants known as polyphenols that influence sleep regulation and help you fight insomnia. Tart cherries are rich in potassium, melatonin, serotonin, and tryptophan which make them healthy food that helps you sleep. Tart cherries are rich in vitamin E, fibre, and vitamin C so they nourish you while helping you manage insomnia symptoms. The anti-inflammatory properties of tart cherries are also effective in enhancing your cognitive function. So, add tart cherries to your diet for insomnia.

6. Chamomile Tea:Chamomile tea helps in reducing your anxiety, minimizing muscle tension, and soothing digestion, which may help in inducing sound sleep. The calming effects due to flavonoid content in chamomile tea can help improve your quality of sleep. The flavonoid content in chamomile tea offers sedative effects. So, you can have a cup of hot chamomile tea post-dinner but not too close to your bedtime.

7. Lettuce: Lettuce and lettuce seed oil are some of the effective insomnia solutions. They offer a mild sedative effect that helps you fall asleep and enjoy sound sleep naturally. So, add the fresh leafy vegetable to your insomnia diet.

5 Foods to Avoid When Managing Insomnia:

While you eat nutritious foods to enjoy sound sleep, you also need to avoid certain foods in your diet for insomnia. Here’s a list of foods to avoid while managing insomnia.

1. Tyramine-Rich Foods:Staying away from foods rich in tyramine later in the day can help you improve your quality of sleep. The amino acid stimulates your brain to let out a natural stimulant, which promotes brain activity, that makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. So, do not eat foods rich in tyramine later in the day to enjoy a sound sleep. Avoid eggplant, soy sauce, tomatoes, and red wine as they are abundant in tyramine.
2. Acidic Foods:High acidic foods can make you suffer from heartburn and hamper your sleep Foods with high acid content can trigger acid reflux and damage the quality of your sleep. So, avoid acidic foods, such as tomato sauce, raw onion, citrus juice, and white wine, while fighting insomnia.
3. Overly Sugary Treats:Insulin fluctuations can affect your sleep patterns adversely. Eating overly sugary foods can lead to a spike in blood glucose and, later, a crash. This may make it difficult for you to stay asleep continuously at night. So, they are not healthy treats to eat at night. Be sure you stay away from sweetened or sugary foods while following a well-balanced diet for insomniato enjoy an uninterrupted sound sleep.
4. Heavy Foods or Meals:Having heavy meals takes a longer than usual time to digest. And, if your heavy meals contain fried or cheesy foods, you may even experience digestion issues that might prevent you from enjoying continuous sleep at night. So, avoid eating heavy foods or meals, particularly late in the day or during dinner time.
5. Spicy Foods:Even though you may find spicy foods tasty, they can disrupt your quality of sleep by making you suffer from heartburn. Ideally, your body temperature should be adequately low to help you fall asleep and stay asleep at night. However, hot peppers boost the temperature of your body and can keep you awake for longer. So, be sure you do not eat spicy foods at night at dinner.

5 Dietary Tips to Manage Insomnia:

While following a personalized diet for insomnia, you need to modify your dietary habits to improve your quality of sleep. Check out some effective dietary tips for insomnia management.

1. Cut Down on Caffeine: The intake of caffeine can interfere with the process of inducing sleep. Also, caffeine consumption prevents you from enjoying deep sleep. So, avoid drinking caffeinated beverages, such as tea, coffee, and other beverages containing caffeine, particularly in the evening and at night. Have warm milk or herbal tea instead of caffeinated drinks to fight insomnia.

2. Avoid Alcohol:Alcohol consumption can lead to nighttime wakefulness. Even though alcohol may make you fall asleep initially, it interrupts your natural sleep cycle later in the night. Alcohol reduces the amount of restorative REM sleep that you would enjoy normally. The intake of alcohol relaxes your muscles which can worsen obstructive sleep apnea, and it may make you snore loudly. Alcohol can also affect the esophageal sphincter adversely and may make you suffer from acid reflux. So, keeping away from alcohol can help in insomnia management.

3. Quit Smoking:Smoking makes your brain experience the adverse effects of nicotine, which is a stimulant. Individuals who smoke may take a longer time to fall asleep and experience interrupted sleep. They may wake up often from sleep and are deprived of continuous, sound sleep. So, quit smoking when fighting insomnia.

4. Cut Back on Sugar:Sugar causes a short-lived burst of energy, which leads to uneven blood glucose levels. When blood glucose levels fall at night, you happen to experience interrupted sleep. So, reduce your sugar intake.

5. Do Not Dine Late at Night:Be sure you do not eat too late at night, as it increases your chances of experiencing acid reflux and digestion issues. Maintain 2 to 3 hours of gap between your dinner and sleep. Also, do not eat fatty and spicy foods in the evening to avoid digestion issues, which might hamper your nighttime sleep.

Now that you know which foods help you sleep and which foods prevent you from falling asleep, plan your diet for insomnia accordingly. The guidance of certified nutritionists, such as health experts at Health Total, can prove beneficial in insomnia management. So, waste no time, reach out to us at Health Total and enjoy the sound, uninterrupted sleep with our customised diet for insomnia.