Sleep plays games with nutrition. Here is so much talk about the hygiene of good sleep: avoiding screen time close to bed. Yet, attention towards nutrition doesn’t enter into quality sleep. This piece delves deep into how low nutrition impacts good sleep and the ways through which one can learn from the best of nutritionists including names like Avni Kaul of Nutri Activania.
Nutrition is the basis of many physiological activities that control sleep. The body can not retain its normal sleep cycles without proper nutrients. For instance, the isolation of the body of vitamins B6 along with magnesium results in insomnia or sleeplessness. As a result, bad nutrition affects the following sleep characteristics:
Proper nutrition defines the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle. A meal that is not rightly consumed or missed at specific times drains energy out of the body and confuses the circadian rhythm. Later on, it leads to the disorganization of sleep patterns and sleep deprivation.
To produce the sleep-causing melatonin, it has to be retrieved from a precursor amino acid called tryptophan. Poor intakes of protein make the body less capable and it is a little hard for the body to produce enough quantities of melatonin thus hard to fall asleep.
This is because the consumption of refined sugar or the intake of big portions of carbohydrates will raise your blood glucose. After that, with its crash, it will interfere with the body from being rested.
The gut produces around 90 percent of serotonin precursor to melatonin. It implies that poor food choices impact the health of the gut and consequently have lesser amounts of serotonin; which in turn has bad effects on sleep as well.
Some of the major nutrients required for quality sleep are:
Role of Professional Guidance in Nutrition for Sleep
Though a cup of coffee in the morning refreshes, excessive consumption of caffeine, especially at night hours, does not allow the body to relax.
No dinner makes you hungry; heavy dinners at night cause digestion problems, which affects the quality of sleep.
Trans fatty acids and sugars cause hormonal imbalance, which eventually leads to improper sleep patterns.
Protein deficiency
As already discussed above, a low intake of protein results in less availability of tryptophan. Tryptophan is used directly in the production of melatonin.
Avni Kaul, Nutri Activania’s founder is one of the best-known names among top nutritionists in India. She opines that the primary cause of most sleep issues is dietary deficiencies. According to her:
Avni and her team formulate individualized nutrition plans that benefit not only one’s overall well-being but also specific issues related to sleep, which is what makes all the difference for anyone experiencing problems while sleeping.
While good nutrition provides many benefits by itself, good sleep hygiene takes those benefits and maximizes them. Together they:
Nutrition cannot be ruled out when discussing sleep. Its absence in your body will also affect your sleep and overall well-being. You can visit a professional who can help you choose the diet that best fits you, like Avni Kaul from Nutri Activania.
Adding these sleep-promoting foods to the diet and avoiding common dietary mistakes helps improve sleep, thereby working wonders to improve the quality of sleep as well as overall wellness.
Avni Kaul is Founder of Nutriactivania with Masters Degree in Food and Nutrition from University of Delhi and is also a Certified Diabetes Educator from Project Hope and International Diabetes Federation. She is a Leicester Mammas Ambassador trained in Lactation Counselling with NHS United Kingdom. Mammas support pregnant and new mothers and their families. Specializations of Avni Kaul Include Infant and Young Child Feeding Practises, Pre and Post natal diets, Fat loss, Muscle Gain and Holistic Health and Nutrition