03 Dec A good night’s sleep? Then you need this food!
A regular workout is important. That won’t come as a surprise to you. A good night’s sleep is just as important. In this article we will take a closer look on how to achieve that!
Everyone knows: if you need to study or work late, you’ll feel the urge to drink lots of coffee. So on the other hand: if you want to have a good night’s sleep, don’t drink too much coffee or consume other products that contain caffeine. For instance, coke, chocolate, energy drinks and certain teas contain caffeine. Therefore, it’s best not to consume these products a few hours before you want to sleep.
Alcohol
Do you drink a glass of wine every evening? Wine – or other alcoholic drinks – help you fall asleep faster. But there is a disadvantage: because of alcohol your sleep is less deep. Moreover, alcohol can give you bad dreams, make you sweat and will easily give you a headache. So yes, alcohol makes you sleep faster. But the quality of your sleep may decrease.
Nicotine
A little bit of nicotine makes you sleepy. But if you are a regular smoker, then nicotine will have an opposite effect. It makes you fall asleep less quickly. Also, people that often smoke, wake up more often during the night and their sleep is less deep. In fact, the effect nicotine has is similar to caffeine. So if you really would like to smoke during the day, just take your last cigarette a few hours before you go to bed.
Tryptophan
Until now we talked about products you shouldn’t take. But what are the products that help you sleep? For example, you can consume products that contain tryptophan. Perhaps you have never heard about that substance. But it’s in yogurt, tuna, and bananas, for example. Tryptophan makes the serotonin levels in your body increase. This substance makes you feel calm. If you combine a product with tryptophan with a carbohydrate-rich product (such as whole grain bread), you will fall asleep faster.
Just eat on time
Not only what you eat, but also what time you eat is important. It is certainly not good to eat too late. But what time is too late? Well, keep in mind that you have your dinner at least three hours before you go to bed. In case you are a little bit hungry in the evening, just take a light snack. Do that a half hour to one hour before you want to go to sleep.
Nutritional advice at mac
Would you like to know more about your diet? Just contact our dietician Axel. He is at mac SportsClub every Tuesday evening and Thursday morning. His help is free of charge for members.