Best and worst eating before bedtime

Health professionals may argue about the benefits of milk, or the best time for trainingBut there is one thing that everyone agrees: sleep is extremely important for the human body. On the quality of sleep depends on clear thinking, reaction speed, mood and a number of other important bodily functions. Lack of sleep leads to increased appetite and weight gain, problems with growth in adolescents, an overall decrease in immunity and other negative consequences. Therefore it is important to get enough sleep!

The quality of sleep is affected by many different factors, but one of them - the food - unites all people. In this article we have compiled a list of products and recommendations, which you can stick to secure a sound sleep every night.

Best meal before bedtime

Foods rich in tryptophan. Tryptophan - an amino acid that is found in most vegetable proteins, it is particularly rich pulses. Interest to us is the fact that tryptophan levels affect the level of serotonin in the body. And serotonin,

pleasure hormone, Has a significant influence on appetite, mood and sleep. This means that if bedtime eat foods rich in tryptophan, it is possible to improve the quality of their sleep.

What food is rich in tryptophan? Turkey, soybeans, pumpkin seeds. They can be combined with other products. For example, whole grain bread, pasta, crackers, rice, coupled with turkey, eggs, dairy products - is one of the best ways to eat before going to bed. The thing is that the food is rich in carbohydrates, helps products with tryptophan quickly assimilated.

Cherry. This is one of the few natural sources of melatonin. Melatonin - a hormone that is often recommended as a sleep aid. In one study it was found that a glass of sour cherry juice before bedtime helps older people to deal with insomnia.

Foods rich in magnesium. Products containing large amounts of magnesium, such as dark green leafy vegetables or avocado- these are the natural remedies that help to sleep. It proved that magnesium improves the quality of sleep of older people (the duration of sleep and the ability to easy awakening), insomniacs.

Food that steals the dream

There are a number of foods that are not recommended to drink before bedtime.

Caffeine. It will not be news that caffeine interferes with healthy sleep, and yet this advice is worth to remind him. Reduce your daily caffeine consumption rate of 200-300 mg. And most importantly, do not use it at bedtime. Remember that caffeine is contained not only in espresso or latte, but also in chocolate, energy drinks and tea.

Alcohol. Of course, a glass (or two) of red wine at night may be accompanied by sleepiness, but the consumption of large amounts of alcohol can disrupt sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, do not drink more than one glass of light alcoholic beverages per day.

Fatty food. Fatty foods such as crisps, Fried food or ice cream is bad for the quality of sleep. The fact is that fat is digested for a long time, which means that all this time the body is working, instead of rest.

What to eat and in what quantities

To sleep soundly like a baby, it is better to avoid volumetric eating just before bedtime. If you have a late dinner, do your portion is smaller than usual. If you just snack, put the required amount of food on the plate. Otherwise the risk to eat the whole pack, especially if you sit in front of a TV. Here are some snacks that you can afford without any harm to sleep:

• low-fat milk and whole grains;
• natural peanut butter and whole grain breads;
• yogurt with half a banana or a tablespoon of crushed walnut;
• two cups of popcorn (without additives), drizzle with olive oil.

conclusions

Sacrificing sleep for the next night snack - it's not the best idea. Bite you at any time, and sleep well, as a rule, only at night. But what if the sleep time, and stomach rumbling? Drink a glass of warm milk and a couple of snack crackers. This will be enough to survive the stomach before breakfast.

If you are forced to eat just before going to bed, here are three rules that are recommended to be observed:

1. Prefer food that is rich in tryptophan (turkey, eggs, milk).
2. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and fatty foods.
3. Eat smaller portions and controls the amount of food eaten.