Sleep is absolutely an essential for health. Unfortunately, our unhealthy lifestyles have made insomnia a major problem today, in addition to the health issues it causes.
Fixing insomnia, unfortunately for the many’s mindset out there, is not really a medical issue nor a medication deficiency issue. it’s a lifestyle one. One such lifestyle aspect is what we eat.
A team of experts from the University of Chicago and Columbia University published in Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics a review of 20 studies conducted between 1975 and March 2021 on how dietary patterns effect sleep quality in adults.
From their review, they concluded a diet that promotes healthy sleep included:
- Complex carbohydrates especially including fiber and unsaturated, especially polyunsaturated, fats
- High in protein
- Rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Low in saturated fats.
- Low in high-sugar content food such as candy and processed food with added sugar.
In other words, all of this can be summarized with whole food, plant based diet or a Mediterranean diet.
Many people try to sedate themselves to get some poor quality sleep with dangerous drugs and alcohol. But it’s still poor quality sleep. What people should be doing is changing their lifestyle and they’ll find improvement in both the quality and quantity of their sleep, it’s cheaper and safer with better results, so do that.
K Wilson et al. Diet composition and objectively assessed sleep quality: a narrative review. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic 2021. doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2022.01.007.
