Diet & Sleep

Eating healthily can help you to sleep better. If your diet doesn’t contain the right amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, this can be detrimental to your general well-being.

Developing eating habits which are conducive to better sleep needn’t be complicated if you remember a few key points:

Reduce your caffeine intake

Caffeine is present in tea, coffee, soft drinks such as cola and some medications such as some headache tablets.

You may feel tired but trying to stay awake with caffeine increases your metabolic rate, making it harder for your brain and body to switch off when it’s time to sleep.

Some people can be over sensitive to caffeine, which makes it even more important to cut down.

Caffeine can stay in your body for up to 14 hours.

Even a small amount early in the day may affect being able to sleep at night. Try to stick to one or two cups before midday then switch to decaf. Alternatively try a herbal or fruit tea later in the day. Visit the Range of Remedies section for more information.

Lower your alcohol consumption

Alcohol may help you forget your worries and make you drowsy, but it will also interrupt your sleep later on in the night.

If a large quantity of alcohol passes through the body it can cause intense dreaming, sweating, dehydration and headaches. Alcohol also makes you more prone to waking up in the night.

If you drink regularly to help you sleep, you may find yourself needing more and more to get the same result.

Try drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage to try to reduce its effects, and try not to drink alcohol in the evening.

When should you eat?

When you eat also makes a difference to your night’s sleep. Try to avoid heavy meals a few hours before bedtime as they make your digestive system work harder, keeping you awake at night for longer. They can also make you feel uncomfortably full, making it harder to fall asleep.

On the flipside, a grumbling stomach can wake you up, so if you feel hungry before bed, have a small snack. Carbohydrates and dairy products have been shown to decrease the time it takes to fall asleep.