Foods that May Be Causing Your Insomnia!
Food can be a common source of creating a chemical cause for insomnia. If you are suffering from insomnia on a nightly basis, or only once in a while, you should check your diet to see if there is a common source that may be contributing to your sleepless nights. Coffee, soda, chocolate, desserts, and spicy foods can all be the culprit behind your night waking.
Insomnia is a very annoying condition. When you can't sleep at night, you are tired during the day and less productive. While sleep needs vary from one person to the next, a healthy sleep goal is 7-9 hours a night. If you are not able to rest enough, your body will be less energetic and not able to function as you need it to.
Two very common causes of insomnia include caffeine consumption and food allergy or food sensitivity.
Caffeine is a stimulant that encourages active neurological movement. While this effect is great during the day when you need an extra energy boost, if consumed too late in the day, can affect your sleep. Caffeine enters your bloodstream through the consumption of coffee, soda, cold and cough medicine and tea. Try to avoid consuming caffeine late in the day so that your blood will be caffeine free by nighttime.
Eating a food that your body may be slightly allergic too can also cause insomnia. The most frequent foods that cause sleep disturbances are chocolate, wheat, corn and dairy. Even if you cannot define a food allergy to these products, they may be causing your insomnia. One common symptom of food sensitivity is restlessness. This restlessness that you experience throughout the day may leak over into your night and cause insomnia.
Increased fatigue can also be a symptom of food intolerance. A person with food sensitivity often wakes up in the morning feeling tired, and irritable. They may also feel that they "need" a nap in the afternoon. If this sounds like you, try keeping a chart of what you eat, and match the foods up to the mornings you feel more tired.
Foods that you have found to be hard to digest should also be avoided. These can include goods that may cause gas. Broccoli, cabbage, beans, cucumbers and garlic can be hard on your stomach. If your stomach is having a hard time digesting the food, your body may suffer and sleep may be difficult.
Chinese food is a very common cause of insomnia. This is because of the high level of MSG stimulant used to cook the food. MSG can also be found in many seasonings, it is used as a preservative.
Consuming sugary foods before bed can also cause insomnia. This is because they cause a sugar rush in your bloodstream. This extra sugar in your blood causes a boost of energy that may make it hard for you to sleep.
Foods that contain high levels of pesticides, preservatives and other artificial additives may also cause insomnia. These are all unnatural chemicals that require more work from your digestive tract.
Cigarettes and alcohol also inhibit sleep. Nicotine may feel relaxing, but it is actually a stimulant that interrupts your sleep ability. Alcohol also changes the naturally balance of chemicals in your brain and affects your sleep. Your body tends to release adrenalin in response to alcohol consumption.
There are some healthy foods that may actually help you sleep at night. Having a carbohydrate snack can prevent your blood sugar from falling at night. Some great before bed snacks include: bananas, yogurt, milk, whole grain cereal or crackers, and peanut butter. Never eat a heavy meal before bed as your digestive system slows down and much of the calories will not be properly used by your body.
Since we spend one third of our time sleeping, it is very important to our overall health. When your body is sleep deprived the muscles suffer and cannot function properly. Maintain a healthy diet, and avoid troubling foods before bedtime to assure your body gets the sleep it needs!
Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/353111/foods_that_may_be_causing_your_insomnia.html
Food can be a common source of creating a chemical cause for insomnia. If you are suffering from insomnia on a nightly basis, or only once in a while, you should check your diet to see if there is a common source that may be contributing to your sleepless nights. Coffee, soda, chocolate, desserts, and spicy foods can all be the culprit behind your night waking.
Insomnia is a very annoying condition. When you can't sleep at night, you are tired during the day and less productive. While sleep needs vary from one person to the next, a healthy sleep goal is 7-9 hours a night. If you are not able to rest enough, your body will be less energetic and not able to function as you need it to.
Two very common causes of insomnia include caffeine consumption and food allergy or food sensitivity.
Caffeine is a stimulant that encourages active neurological movement. While this effect is great during the day when you need an extra energy boost, if consumed too late in the day, can affect your sleep. Caffeine enters your bloodstream through the consumption of coffee, soda, cold and cough medicine and tea. Try to avoid consuming caffeine late in the day so that your blood will be caffeine free by nighttime.
Eating a food that your body may be slightly allergic too can also cause insomnia. The most frequent foods that cause sleep disturbances are chocolate, wheat, corn and dairy. Even if you cannot define a food allergy to these products, they may be causing your insomnia. One common symptom of food sensitivity is restlessness. This restlessness that you experience throughout the day may leak over into your night and cause insomnia.
Increased fatigue can also be a symptom of food intolerance. A person with food sensitivity often wakes up in the morning feeling tired, and irritable. They may also feel that they "need" a nap in the afternoon. If this sounds like you, try keeping a chart of what you eat, and match the foods up to the mornings you feel more tired.
Foods that you have found to be hard to digest should also be avoided. These can include goods that may cause gas. Broccoli, cabbage, beans, cucumbers and garlic can be hard on your stomach. If your stomach is having a hard time digesting the food, your body may suffer and sleep may be difficult.
Chinese food is a very common cause of insomnia. This is because of the high level of MSG stimulant used to cook the food. MSG can also be found in many seasonings, it is used as a preservative.
Consuming sugary foods before bed can also cause insomnia. This is because they cause a sugar rush in your bloodstream. This extra sugar in your blood causes a boost of energy that may make it hard for you to sleep.
Foods that contain high levels of pesticides, preservatives and other artificial additives may also cause insomnia. These are all unnatural chemicals that require more work from your digestive tract.
Cigarettes and alcohol also inhibit sleep. Nicotine may feel relaxing, but it is actually a stimulant that interrupts your sleep ability. Alcohol also changes the naturally balance of chemicals in your brain and affects your sleep. Your body tends to release adrenalin in response to alcohol consumption.
There are some healthy foods that may actually help you sleep at night. Having a carbohydrate snack can prevent your blood sugar from falling at night. Some great before bed snacks include: bananas, yogurt, milk, whole grain cereal or crackers, and peanut butter. Never eat a heavy meal before bed as your digestive system slows down and much of the calories will not be properly used by your body.
Since we spend one third of our time sleeping, it is very important to our overall health. When your body is sleep deprived the muscles suffer and cannot function properly. Maintain a healthy diet, and avoid troubling foods before bedtime to assure your body gets the sleep it needs!
Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/353111/foods_that_may_be_causing_your_insomnia.html