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April 27, 2024
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What to eat before bed: the best and worst options

Food is linked to various factors in life, whether physical or emotional. And it would be no different with the quality of sleep. Even while sleeping, the body continues its metabolism and depends on what is ingested to be able to complete its rest process properly. And the quality of sleep, in turn, is related to all our daytime functioning, mood, concentration, and even emotional aspect.

Helena Costa Clinic Functional Nutritionist Thaianna Velasco confirms the influence of diet on sleep quality: Can she reflect positively, assisting in a good night's sleep or negatively, causing a restless, restless night's sleep? even insomnia?

What is ingested influences the functioning of the body throughout the day. But when bedtime comes, extra care is recommended in food, thinking about the time to rest.

Is it important to note that there is a difference between dinner? What is considered to be the meal taken hours before bed? and what might be called supper, that snack you may need just before bed. For this case, check out the tips that should be avoided or preferred so that your night's sleep is perfect.

The 7 Best Foods to Eat at Supper

For bedtime, the most suitable foods are easily digestible. In general, the substance that can most help sleep is an amino acid called Tryptophan, which is directly linked to the production of Serotonin, a substance related to the well-being and sleep process.

Read also: 10 foods that help increase or decrease sleep

Low glycemic carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods and all in small quantities are also recommended. The master in human nutrition Roberta Santiago de Brito, points out some good options to kill hunger and still contribute to a quality rest:

Pumpkin seeds, oilseeds and milk derivatives: are sources of Tryptophan, the precursor amino acid of Serotonin, the wellness hormone.
Banana: Besides containing Tryptophan, it is also a source of Melatonin, known as the sleep hormone.
Avocado: source of Omega 9 and antioxidant GSH. Both aid in hormonal modulation and better sleep.
Warm milk with honey: Milk contains Tryptophan and honey is a light carbohydrate, making it a great option for a small snack that can help you get a better night's sleep.
Vegetables like leaves and sweet potatoes and cereals like oats and flaxseed: They are low glycemic carbohydrates and high in fiber.
Meat: If you are eating meat, give preference to chicken or fish, which are proteins that are easier to digest, but their consumption should be moderate and in small quantity.
Soothing Teas: chamomile, passion fruit, mint. Sometimes they can even kill that late-night hunger alone.

According to nutritionist Thaianna Velasco, these types of foods are less likely to cause indigestion and abdominal discomfort. In addition to not increasing too much blood glucose, which can influence both a poor sleep, and the production of hormone GH, which has its peak production in the deep sleep phase.

Sleep Villains: Foods and Habits to Avoid at Night

Just as certain foods can help with a restful night's sleep, others may, on the contrary, disrupt your rest by impairing metabolic functioning during sleep.

Firstly, it is not recommended to eat large portions, and to avoid difficult to digest and very fatty foods like red meat, bacon and fatty cheeses, which can cause indigestion and abdominal discomfort.

• Refined and high glycemic carbohydrates are also contraindicated, such as sugar, white bread, pasta, potato and fruit juice, as they increase blood glucose rapidly, causing insulin production to drastically increase, thus influencing the quality of the diet. sleep and growth-related GH hormone production. Explains Thaianna Velasco.

Read also: 10 Essentials for a More Comfortable and Functional Room

To ensure a good night's sleep, avoid the following foods before bedtime:

Excess sugars (sweets, breads, cakes and pasta in general): increase oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators, leading to hormonal imbalances and sleep disorders.
Industrialized Cookies: Roberta Santiago explains that "the combination of simple sugar, colorings and chemical additives leads to the increase of proinflammatory cytokines, this increase being related to migraine and insomnia."
Spicy foods and peppers in general: have Capsaicin (thermogenic action), which may interfere with the sleep cycle.
Stimulants (coffee, mate, green tea, alcoholic drinks and sodas): These drinks make you more alert, speeding up metabolism, and increase Cortisol, a hormone that interferes with the production of Serotonin.