Do you have trouble sleeping? Your daily diet might be the problem — even if it includes healthy items.
From your afternoon green tea pick-me-up to your sushi dinner, you could be unwittingly consuming foods that are ruining your night’s rest.
‘Diet can have an influence on how well you sleep,’ says registered nutritionist and author Rob Hobson.
‘While you may be aware of the foods that help to make you drowsy, eating them is not going to make a difference if you are fighting against their benefits with other foods that are going to keep you awake.’
For fans of Chinese and Japanese cooking, soy sauce is a must-have condiment that adds a satisfying umami note to anything from sushi to stir fries. However, it could be the reason you’re finding it hard to sleep after eating a takeaway, thanks to an amino acid called tyramine
So a cup of hot milk is all very well, but it won’t have the same soporific effect if it’s followed by a bar of chocolate.
Here, Mr Hobson, who is also an advisor for supplement brand Healthspan, points out the sleep-sabotaging foods that could be impacting your slumber.
SOY SAUCE
For fans of Chinese and Japanese cooking, soy sauce is a must-have condiment that adds a satisfying umami note to anything from sushi to stir fries.
However, it could be the reason you’re finding it hard to sleep after eating a takeaway, thanks to an amino acid called tyramine.
‘Tyramine is a common trigger for people who suffer with migraines and may also inhibit sleep as it causes the release of a hormone called norepinephrine which can stimulate the brain and delay sleep,’ says Mr Hobson.
He explains foods that have more than 6mg of tyramine per serving are considered to be high in this amino acid — soy sauce contains 9.41mg per 10ml serving. Other foods high in tyramine include processed meats, pickled vegetables, citrus fruits, red wine, Marmite and Teriyaki sauce.
What’s the alternative?
‘All fermented foods are generally high in tyramine,’ says Mr Hobson, author of the Art of Sleeping
‘A little dark molasses may help to create a similar umami flavour. Or you can use mushrooms to add that savoury note to food.
‘However, if you are sensitive to tyramine then you may have to ditch the Chinese takeaway altogether.’
GREEN TEA
So after knocking back a couple of cups of green tea, you’ve matched the caffeine content of one coffee. No wonder you’re still getting the pre-bed jitters
With its high caffeine content, coffee is rarely a go-to choice for the evening.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
‘But did you know the wellness tribe’s favourite hot drink, green tea, is also a rich source?’ says Mr Hobson.
‘The average cup of coffee contains around 100mg of caffeine while the same size cup of green tea still contains 50mg.’
So after knocking back a couple of cups of green tea, you’ve matched the caffeine content of one coffee. No wonder you’re still getting the pre-bed jitters.
‘Caffeine blocks the brain chemicals that make you sleepy and remains in the body for three to five hours depending on how fast you metabolise it,’ says Mr Hobson.
‘In some people it can linger for up to 12 hours.
‘If you can’t sleep and you want to drink coffee then stick to one cup in the morning.’
But don’t rush to cut green tea out of your daily diet, it’s rich in antioxidants, gut-friendly polyphenols and brain-boosting catechins.
Just enjoy it in the morning, or no later than 3pm, to give the caffeine time to leave your system by lights out.
What’s the alternative?
‘Aside from herbal teas, rooibos is one of the only naturally caffeine-free teas,’ says Mr Hobson.
‘If you are looking for an energising kick then try adding ginger and lemon to rooibos or hot water.’
CHOCOLATE
When it comes to evening munchies, chocolate is high up on the list.
But this is one ingredient you should avoid after dark.
‘Any chocolate, regardless of its cocoa content, is going to contain high amounts of sugar,’ says Mr Hobson. ‘Consuming too much sugar can impact on your quality of sleep and pull you out of deep sleep during the night.’
However, even eating chocolate earlier in the day can affect your shut-eye.
‘Too much sugar also reduces the activity of orexin cells,’ he says. ‘These cells stimulate parts of the brain that produce dopamine and norepinephrine – two hormones that keep us aroused and physically mobile.
‘This can leave you feeling sleepy during the day and more prone to napping which can affect night-time sleep quality.’
Meanwhile, dark chocolate is an oft forgotten source of caffeine, with most 50g bars containing around 25mg of the stimulant.
When it comes to evening munchies, chocolate is high up on the list, but this is one ingredient you should avoid after dark
What’s the alternative?
Try a sugar-free hot chocolate to get your sweet fix without the white stuff, Mr Hobson recommends. Or get your dessert buzz another way, by eating whole chopped fruit with coconut milk yoghurt instead.
ALCOHOL
Many of us are familiar with that drowsy sensation that creeps up after a drink or two, but after falling asleep how many of us then toss and turn before waking up feeling tired and bleary eyed?
This is the paradox of drinking booze. ‘Alcohol is the most common self-medicated sedative and while it may make you drowsy the effect is short lived and is more likely to have the opposite effect,’ says Mr Hobson.
Alcohol puts drinkers straight into deep sleep, bypassing REM sleep during the first two cycles, which means that as the night progresses there is an imbalance between slow-wave and REM sleep, which is essential for learning, memory and cognition.
Many of us are familiar with that drowsy sensation that creeps up after a drink or two, but after falling asleep how many of us then toss and turn before waking up feeling tired and bleary eyed?
‘Booze interferes with the flow of calcium into nerve cells, affecting the region of the brain that controls sleep function,’ he explains.
‘Drinking alcohol before bed can also have rebound effects, causing you to wake up during the night due to dehydration or the need to visit the bathroom, and in some cases it can also contribute to heartburn.’
However, while drinking to excess is more likely to have a negative impact on your night’s kip, alcohol affects everyone differently so some people’s sleep might suffer from just a glass, advises the Sleep Foundation.
What’s the alternative?
‘If you are going to drink alcohol then stick to just one drink and with a meal, leaving at least a couple of hours before going to bed,’ Mr Hobson advises.
‘But for a drink with the opposite effect to alcohol, try sipping on a sleep-inducing herbal remedy such as valerian. I take A.Vogel Dormeasan Tincture, which contains two naturally occurring sedatives; lemon balm, and valerian-hops which can help reduce restlessness and helps increase my sleep quality.’
CHILLIES
Mid-life women might need to be even more vigilant about fiery foods, Rob Hobson says
A warming curry seems like the perfect food for this time of year — filling, aromatic and with enough heat to banish any chills.
But for some people, that warmth can quickly turn into an uncomfortable hot sweat. ‘Spicy foods such as chillies can temporarily raise your body temperature which may be an issue for some people,’ says Mr Hobson.
Mid-life women might need to be even more vigilant about fiery foods. ‘During menopause, spicy dishes can induce hot flushes which can disrupt women’s sleep.
This is because hormonal changes both before and after menstruation can increase body temperature.
‘Many of my private clients don’t realise that spicy food can also exacerbate heartburn causing acid reflux, which prevents people from sleeping.’
What’s the alternative?
‘Turn down the heat on your meals and focus on flavour,’ Mr Hobson says. ‘Try exploring fragrant spices such as cumin and smoked paprika, and herbs such as coriander, parsley and tarragon.’
…And the foods that will make you sleep BETTER
Turkey breast
Turkey is rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which needs to be obtained from the diet. Tryptophan is required by the body to make melatonin – the hormone that regulates the sleep/wake cycle, says Mr Hobson.
Bananas
This fruit is a good source of vitamin B6, used in the production of melatonin in the brain. Vitamin B6 is more rapidly depleted during times of stress.
Yoghurt
It is full of calcium, which is required to convert tryptophan into melatonin. It has been shown that sleep disturbances, especially during REM sleep, may be related to low levels of calcium.
Cocoa powder
This is a rich source of magnesium, which regulates melatonin and activates the parasympathetic nervous system to help the body relax. Anxiety can rapidly deplete the body of magnesium. If you’re not getting enough of this mineral from your diet (375mg for women and men).
White rice
Carbs in foods such as rice help with the uptake of tryptophan into the brain. More rapidly digested carbs are a better choice as they have a greater impact on insulin levels, which helps drive other amino acids away from the brain barrier, leaving tryptophan to enter more easily without competition.
Tart cherry juice
There is some evidence to suggest tart cherry juice may help with sleep. This juice contains both tryptophan and melatonin. But to have any effect, it must originate from the Montmorency cherry and be concentrated. For a concentrated source, try Healthspan Elite Performance Cherry (24 sachets for £35.99).
