{"id":32191,"date":"2022-01-16T07:03:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T07:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/?post_type=generalhealth&p=32191"},"modified":"2026-05-26T14:55:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T14:55:11","slug":"diet-and-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/general-health\/diet-and-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Our Diet Improve Our Sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Diet and sleep are closely linked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your diet and food intake can promote healthy sleep or can lead to sleep problems and disrupted sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out which foods you should include in your diet to get a better night\u2019s sleep and which foods you should cut out to avoid sleep disturbance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Our Diet Improve Our Sleep?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your diet impacts all aspects of your health, including sleep. Certain foods can promote a good night\u2019s sleep, while others might interfere with your sleep quality and sleep duration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting good sleep can help you feel more alert and improve your mood<\/a>. There is a lot more to good sleep than meets the eye, though. Sleep deprivation<\/a> is linked with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes<\/a>, heart disease<\/a>, depression<\/a>, and obesity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re having trouble getting good sleep, you might want to take a closer look at your eating habits. Improving your diet might help you get better rest while also promoting your overall health and wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"melatonin<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tips to improve your sleep through lifestyle habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your diet is one of many sleep hygiene habits that can help you get more restful sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid caffeine, especially later in the day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people consume caffeine regularly, sometimes several times per day. Caffeine is a stimulant and creates a feeling of alertness and can disrupt sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adenosine is a substance that promotes sleepiness<\/a>. Caffeine acts as an adenosine receptor agonist, meaning it blocks the action of adenosine, helping to keep you awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average half-life of caffeine is five hours. The half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of the substance (in this case, caffeine) to be cleared from your system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you drink a triple-shot latte at 8 AM, about half the amount of caffeine would still be present around 1 PM. If you have caffeine later in the day, a majority could still be circulating in your system at bedtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be wary of certain teas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You might think of tea as low in caffeine compared to coffee. This is true for some types of tea, but many types of tea contain caffeine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green tea<\/a>, black tea, pu-erh tea, and oolong tea all contain caffeine and can keep you from getting good quality sleep if you consume too much, or if you drink them too late in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep fluid intake lower in the evening<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you drink a lot of fluids shortly before bedtime, you\u2019re more likely to wake up several times to use the restroom. Waking up often can disrupt restful REM sleep, and you might not be able to fall back asleep as easily as you want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aim to drink fluids consistently throughout the day instead of waiting until the end of the day to catch up on your hydration goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8 foods and drinks to include in your diet <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Tryptophan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor to hormones like serotonin and melatonin. Certain foods are rich in tryptophan and may help promote better sleep by increasing levels of melatonin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melatonin<\/a> is a hormone produced in your brain. Darkness stimulates your brain to make melatonin, and light slows the production of melatonin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foods rich in tryptophan (precursor to melatonin) include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n