Food For Thought
Could it be true, cutting fatty foods out of your diet may help you sleep better? Research conducted by a team from the University Of Pennsylvania school Of Medicine stated that, woman who ate foods higher in fat content slept in shorter bursts of sleep. Often starches and sugars are to blame for sleep loss, yet this team found a link to saturated fats instead.
One question still remains the same, does eating fatty foods cause you to sleep less, or is it less sleep that causes one to eat more?
According to an article on Scientific Blogging titled Less Sleep More weight gain, the annual SLEEP meeting brings together 6,000 leading researchers and clinicians in the field of sleep medicine. The purpose is to discuss new findings and developments related to sleep and sleep disorders.
Siobhan Banks, PhD, former assistant research professor at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine says, “it was surprising that participants did not crave foods rich in carbohydrates after sleep restriction, as previous research suggested they might.”
It is a known fact that
one of the keys to a restful night’s sleep is to calm your brain down rather than rev it up. Thus eating a high-protein meal without carbohydrates may keep you awake. Protein-rich foods perk up the brain because they contain the amino acid, tyrosine. (Tryptophan is the amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin), the neurotransmitter that slows down nerve traffic calming your brain functions.For students and working adults, high protein, medium-carbohydrate meals eaten for breakfast and lunch, help to keep the body active, and avoided at dinner will help you sleep. Some bedtime snacks you might try are apple pie and ice cream, whole-grain cereals with milk, hazelnuts, tofu and peanut butter sandwiches. The idea is to eat foods high in carbohydrates and calcium, and medium-to-low in protein.
With this in mind if you wish to have a peaceful night sleep avoid the fries and eat a slice of cheese.