How many of us suffer from a less the good night’s sleep?
Recent research has suggested that our gut may play a role in whether we sleep well or otherwise.
We are hearing more about the microbiome. This microbiome about the bacteria that lives in our intestines and helps to digest our food and make it available to be absorbed across into our blood.
Increasingly we are eating stuff that our bodies do not recognise. Food that comes in a packet, is highly processed and is designed to make it look good and be shelf stable rather than actually be good for us.
Eating berries, along with nuts, 70%+ dark chocolate, seeds and decaffeinated coffee could help improve gut health, and as a result, your sleep.
In fact we are only beginning to understand what is actually good for us. We have been showered with any number of food fads over the years that are apparently good for us only to find out that these myths turn out to be far from the actual truth.
Common sense rules around sleep;
- Eat food that has suffered the least amount of processing. Eat fresh as much as you can.
- Eat in moderation, try not to eat too close to bed time.
- Get exercise every day.
- Be regular with your bed time.
- Institute a regime in evening that wind you down.
- White light from computers and phone is said to effect the sleep centres in the brain making it hard to get to sleep.
- No coffee and alcohol. Keep coffee for the morning and alcohol for the weekend.
- Try not to nap too late in the day.
- See , nothing you did not already know. Common sense all of it. Go with your gut.
- Your bed is a sanctuary. Treat it accordingly.
References;
Could it be your gut keeping you awake at night? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/19/is-your-gut-keeping-you-awake-at-night
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and the author of The Diet Myth, agrees that a healthy gut could promote good sleep. Like Walker and Breus, he also believes gut health is linked to our moods.
Christine Hansen, author of Sleep Like a Boss
Sleep deprivation has been linked to a long list of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and obesity. Sleep tracking tech can help you work out if you are failing to give your body time to recover at night. Devices and apps that monitor only movement are less accurate than those that also track heart rate and breathing patterns.