Insomnia and diet

When you’re sitting at your desk at 4:30 and its pitch black outside it’s hard to imagine you’d ever have trouble falling asleep. However, according to BUPA one in four people suffer from insomnia at one point in their lives.

But before you reach for the sleeping tablets, there are some totally natural ways to gently help lull your body to sleep. In fact your diet can have a direct impact on your sleeping patterns.

Causes of insomnia

While most of us feel tired after a big meal, (the "food coma" as its known), it’s best to avoid stuffing oneself with food before bedtime. It’s better to eat earlier in the day, big breakfast, big lunch, smaller dinner. A busy digestive system can keep you from sleeping.

Alcohol has a similar effect, sure a glass or two of red wine gets you sleepy, but alcohol doesn’t give you a very restful sleep and you’ll find yourself awake in a few hours, possibly with a cracker of a headache, depending on how much you drank.

Sugar is another sleep inhibitor as sudden changes in blood sugar can affect your quality of sleep.

This one’s pretty obvious, but steer clear of the caffeine if you’re having snoozing issues. In fact, even a late afternoon cuppa can keep you awake at night as the caffeine stays in your system for about six hours. Try a chamomile tea instead as it’s purposed to promote sleep.

What can I eat to help me sleep?

The old wives tale about a glass of warm milk actually does work (unless of course you are allergic to dairy). Dairy is a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid which your body converts to melatonin and serotonin - which are thought to help promote sleep. In addition to dairy, tryptophan* can be found in oats, bananas, peanuts and poultry (that’s why you’re so sleepy after Christmas lunch.)

Eat a good balance of complex carbohydrates, found in wholegrains, pulses and veg, which will stabilise your blood sugar levels. Basically a healthy balanced diet can help you sleep and thus feel better in so many ways.

*It is important not take tryptophan in supplement form as it is believed to cause serious health problems.