It is self-evident that sleeping more goes hand-in-hand with creating healthier eating habits. In order to build a leaner and stronger body, a full night’s sleep is considered one of the most important factors.
A study concluded that seven to nine hours of sleep rebuilds muscle more efficiently than those who lack a night’s rest. Sleep strategies helped the study participants adjust their daily routine to sleep more and eat healthier while maintaining a consistent workout routine.
Sleep Health, the Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, indicates the following as a quality
restful nights:
- Sleeping more time while in bed (at least 85 percent of the total time)
- Falling asleep in 30 minutes or less
- Waking up no more than once per night
- Being awake for 20 minutes or less after initially falling asleep
A step toward restful nighttime sleep is eliminating coffee close to bedtime.
Caffeine and Sleep
Many know not to drink a few cups of coffee or sugar-rich foods prior to bed, but it is a good reminder to cut out caffeine since it takes the body six hours to metabolize the caffeine. And we all know what sugar can do to a child at night. The same results occur in an adult from a sugary alcoholic beverage to a piece of chocolate cake. Cutting out the sugar hours before sleep is the first step towards healthier sleeping and eating.
A recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that drinking even one cup of coffee per day might make you sleep less. This isn’t a secret to those who might contribute the time they drink a cup of coffee to their insomnia. However, a type of heart palpitation has also been found to be a higher risk.
“The big picture finding is that there isn’t just one single health-related consequence of consuming coffee, but that the reality is more complicated than that,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Different Hydration
Shifting the conversation to hydration in general, dehydration causes the body to not sleep well. Just like being dehydrated during the day in high heat, not drinking enough water causes the body to not function at 100 percent. Along with irritability or fatigue, dehydration may cause leg cramps, dry mouth or nose that increase snoring, or a dry throat causing hoarseness in the mornings. Staying well hydrated all day is the best medicine.
Think instead about going herbal. Add a cup of chamomile which can act as a mild, healthy sedative or passion fruit tea that contains “Harman alkaloids—chemicals found in high levels in the flower—act on your nervous system to make you tired.” Consider adding honey to your tea. Yes, it is sugar but natural sugar easily allows tryptophan to enter the brain.
Chamomile tea is the most common natural sleeping solution as an anti-inflammatory. Mint teas are quite popular with the most common in peppermint teas. It has the added benefit of helping with any digestion or stomach pains at bedtime. Valerian root is a natural sedative used for centuries around the world. It is known to be a good stress relief, especially for those suffering from insomnia.
If you find yourself a coffee drinker and at a higher risk for a heart condition, you may need a consultation with a sleep study medicine professional. Call Alaska Sleep Clinic today for your free sleep assessment.
