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Link between diet and sleep?
comptonelizabeth
Posts: 1,701 Member
Can anyone point me in the right direction for credible research on the links, if any, between sleep and diet? I'm a chronic insomniac and struggle to get even 6 hours of (broken) sleep, never mind the 7-8 hours usually recommended. I have noticed I seem to sleep better if I eat a meal that's high in carbs in the evening but unsure if it's a coincidence and most of the stuff I've found on Google seems to suggest the opposite! I'm not averse to carbs by the way, I just want to try and improve my sleep.
Edit to add : I've read a lot of anecdotal stuff about people's experience of diet and sleep but am more interested in some evidence based research
Edit to add : I've read a lot of anecdotal stuff about people's experience of diet and sleep but am more interested in some evidence based research
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Replies
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Some places to start the evidence based research. These guys have a wealth of evidence based on tons of research and experience of dealing with many clients.
https://boomboomperformance.com/sleep-results/
https://metaboliceffect.com/sleep-fat-loss/
https://stephencabral.com/10-tips-for-better-sleep/
There is research that supports the idea that for some people eating carbs late helps sleep. However, you should do what works for you.
Good luck.1 -
Some places to start the evidence based research. These guys have a wealth of evidence based on tons of research and experience of dealing with many clients.
https://boomboomperformance.com/sleep-results/
https://metaboliceffect.com/sleep-fat-loss/
https://stephencabral.com/10-tips-for-better-sleep/
There is research that supports the idea that for some people eating carbs late helps sleep. However, you should do what works for you.
Good luck.
Thank you, that's really helpful
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Read "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker, PhD
Far too many great points in this book to note in a post, but it serves as an excellent resource. One of those life changing books if you have a issue with sleep.2 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Can anyone point me in the right direction for credible research on the links, if any, between sleep and diet? I'm a chronic insomniac and struggle to get even 6 hours of (broken) sleep, never mind the 7-8 hours usually recommended. I have noticed I seem to sleep better if I eat a meal that's high in carbs in the evening but unsure if it's a coincidence and most of the stuff I've found on Google seems to suggest the opposite! I'm not averse to carbs by the way, I just want to try and improve my sleep.
Edit to add : I've read a lot of anecdotal stuff about people's experience of diet and sleep but am more interested in some evidence based research
IMO, if you feel you sleep better with carbs before bed then I saw to Hell with what says the opposite...3 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Can anyone point me in the right direction for credible research on the links, if any, between sleep and diet? I'm a chronic insomniac and struggle to get even 6 hours of (broken) sleep, never mind the 7-8 hours usually recommended. I have noticed I seem to sleep better if I eat a meal that's high in carbs in the evening but unsure if it's a coincidence and most of the stuff I've found on Google seems to suggest the opposite! I'm not averse to carbs by the way, I just want to try and improve my sleep.
Edit to add : I've read a lot of anecdotal stuff about people's experience of diet and sleep but am more interested in some evidence based research
I would imagine a lot of the avoid carbs before bed crowd comes from the general carbs cause weight crowd. They tend to think it will be bad because some how your body will spend your sleep turning all the carbs into fat even though humans rarely use the metabolic pathways that turn carbohydrate into actual fat.
There's some physiological reasons to consider carbohydrates before bed as being beneficial to sleep. There's a bit of a relationship between ingesting carbs and serotonin production, and a relationship between serotonin and sleep - that's why 5HTP (a serotonin precursor) has been sold as a potential sleep aid.6 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Can anyone point me in the right direction for credible research on the links, if any, between sleep and diet? I'm a chronic insomniac and struggle to get even 6 hours of (broken) sleep, never mind the 7-8 hours usually recommended. I have noticed I seem to sleep better if I eat a meal that's high in carbs in the evening but unsure if it's a coincidence and most of the stuff I've found on Google seems to suggest the opposite! I'm not averse to carbs by the way, I just want to try and improve my sleep.
Edit to add : I've read a lot of anecdotal stuff about people's experience of diet and sleep but am more interested in some evidence based research
IMO, if you feel you sleep better with carbs before bed then I saw to Hell with what says the opposite...
Thank you, I'm thinking the same!
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Read "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker, PhD
Far too many great points in this book to note in a post, but it serves as an excellent resource. One of those life changing books if you have a issue with sleep.
Thank you, yes I've heard of it but so far I've avoided it because I suspect it might tell me what I already know - that, statistically, I'm shortening my life expectation because I don't get enough sleep!
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I definitely have noticed a difference in my healthy and ease of weight loss with a better sleep schedule. I started taking really good cleated magniseum twice a day and it’s helped so many things for me including sleep. If I have a night where sleep tries to evade me...I use 3-6 mg of melatonin (dissolve works miraculously) and that does the trick. Best wishes!1
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TheMothership71 wrote: »I definitely have noticed a difference in my healthy and ease of weight loss with a better sleep schedule. I started taking really good cleated magniseum twice a day and it’s helped so many things for me including sleep. If I have a night where sleep tries to evade me...I use 3-6 mg of melatonin (dissolve works miraculously) and that does the trick. Best wishes!
Thank you In fact my goal is weight gain - or rather, originally it was and now it's maintenance. I've not noticed that poor sleep has led to weight gain as such, though when I'm sleep deprived I definitely crave sweet, starchy foods
I've heard good things about magnesium and melatonin but sadly I can't take either - magnesium affects my gut and I have ibd so that's not good, and melatonin is apparently contraindicated with auto immune disorders. Thank you for the tips though - hope it continues to work for you!1 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Read "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker, PhD
Far too many great points in this book to note in a post, but it serves as an excellent resource. One of those life changing books if you have a issue with sleep.
Thank you, yes I've heard of it but so far I've avoided it because I suspect it might tell me what I already know - that, statistically, I'm shortening my life expectation because I don't get enough sleep!
Look for the Joe Rogan podcast or YouTube presentation with Matthew Walker, too. Fascinating!0 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Read "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker, PhD
Far too many great points in this book to note in a post, but it serves as an excellent resource. One of those life changing books if you have a issue with sleep.
Thank you, yes I've heard of it but so far I've avoided it because I suspect it might tell me what I already know - that, statistically, I'm shortening my life expectation because I don't get enough sleep!
Look for the Joe Rogan podcast or YouTube presentation with Matthew Walker, too. Fascinating!1 -
All I can say is that when I don't get enough sleep, my diet falls apart.2
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Carlos_421 wrote: »All I can say is that when I don't get enough sleep, my diet falls apart.
This is the main way it makes a difference for me. No will power, and I seem to look to food for energy/wakefulness. If I drink a lot of coffee it counteracts it, but I find it way easier to eat properly and not to overeat when I get more sleep.2 -
I am also one who seems to crave carbs just before bed, and I think I sleep better when I have them.
Have you considered asking your doctor for a sleep study? Sometimes people have sleep apnea, restless legs, or other things that contribute to not sleeping well.2 -
OP - here are a few links:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/diet-exercise-and-sleep
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/better-sleep-3-simple-diet-tweaks?amp=true
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3227713/
I’ve been following these as I also suffer from poor sleep. I say follow the diet regimen that helps you personally the most. Re diet- I’ve found alcohol destroys my sleep the most.3 -
sugaraddict4321 wrote: »I am also one who seems to crave carbs just before bed, and I think I sleep better when I have them.
Have you considered asking your doctor for a sleep study? Sometimes people have sleep apnea, restless legs, or other things that contribute to not sleeping well.
Thank you, yes I have thought of this! I will speak to my gp if it doesn't improve - I think over time I've just got used to it but I'm aware it's not ideal x1 -
OP - here are a few links:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/diet-exercise-and-sleep
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/better-sleep-3-simple-diet-tweaks?amp=true
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3227713/
I’ve been following these as I also suffer from poor sleep. I say follow the diet regimen that helps you personally the most. Re diet- I’ve found alcohol destroys my sleep the most.
Thanks for the links. Completely agree about alcohol, especially if I drink late - last night being a case in point!0
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