Although you may think of food as your primary fuel for ENERGY, you can also eat for SLEEP. The habits around what you eat and drink can have a direct impact on the quality and quantity of your sleep. Here are some key points to get you eating and drinking in ways that support your sleep. If you are a night shift worker, simply shift these times to suit your schedule. 

Alcohol

Alcohol can interfere with the way you cycle through sleep. Although alcohol makes some people sleepy, it often leads to disrupted REM cycles. This lack of deep restorative sleep will leave you feeling tired and groggy in the morning. Pay attention to your alcohol intake and to how you feel after consuming it, and avoid alcohol right before bed.

Caffeine

A cup of coffee after two in the afternoon is a sure recipe for difficulty getting to sleep, which will mean you are tired when you wake up and need a little more coffee to get you going. This can quickly deteriorate into a vicious cycle that keeps you from fully resting and fuels your body with caffeine instead. Enjoy your coffee in the morning, and drink water and herbal tea after two. 

Nutrition patterns 

Decide on a time when you will be done eating for the day. Not only does this help you avoid snacking when you aren’t hungry but it also helps you sleep. This does not need to be a hard and fast rule with no exceptions, but it should be the basis of a daily habit. After supper, clean up and turn off the lights in the kitchen. Once the kitchen is closed for the night, limit yourself to hot tea or water. If your health dictates that you need a snack, choose something high in protein with some good fat. This will give you a slow sustained energy release all night long rather than a blood sugar crash that will wake you in the middle of the night. Choose your fruits and other higher carbohydrate foods for breakfast and lunch, and have a supper of protein with lots of fiber and some good fat to carry you through the night. 

Hydration patterns

You need to properly hydrate for all your cells to function, but drinking too much water just before sleeping will wake you and send you to the bathroom. Instead, front load your water. Start the day with two full glasses, and try to drink most of the water you need before mid-afternoon. Then what you drink with supper or before bed will be less likely to interfere with your sleep. 

Supplements

If you live in the US, you may be deficient in vitamin D3. You can have your levels checked and supplement accordingly. Adequate D3 is necessary for proper sleep quality AND quantity. In addition to D3, many people have a magnesium deficiency. A magnesium deficiency can lead to muscle spasms and cramps, headaches, constipation, and sleep disruptions. Taking 400-600 mg of magnesium before bed may help you sleep. Too much magnesium can cause loose stools or heart palpitations. Consult with your health care practitioner before starting any new supplement.  

A cup of herbal tea can be a calming part of your bedtime routine. Caramel bedtime tea contains L-theanine, which may help calm anxiety and help your body relax into sleep. 

Healthy habits around nutrition and hydration can support healthy habits around sleep as well. Consult with your health care practitioner about ways to support sleep, and invite healing into your life.