How to Get Quality Beauty Rest Every Night

There’s nothing quite like a post-Thanksgiving nap. After all that turkey and pie, stretching out on the couch and taking a recovery snooze is absolutely in order. But we shouldn’t have to wait until late November to catch some quality Z’s, it should be a year round thing (because we deserve it, right?).

Getting enough sleep is vital to your overall health, both mentally and physically, according to the National Institutes of Health. Lack of sleep can lead to depression, inability to focus and make decisions, increased risk of obesity, and even increased risk for certain health conditions.

Diet decisions can definitely affect how well you sleep, and making the wrong decisions can lead to a vicious cycle that could become increasingly more difficult to break. Whether starting fresh or improving your current regimen, keep on reading for some nutrition practices that can keep your sleep deep and regular in a much healthier way than devouring a huge Thanksgiving meal (even though we’ll totally be doing that on Turkey Day).

Eat Regularly

Unfortunately, our meals are often a casualty of our hectic lifestyles. The truth is, eating regularly spaced meals is a practice we should all adopt.

According to the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, meals are like a clock for our bodies. They tell our brains when to be alert and when to be sleepy. Eating at different times each day can throw off that clock, confusing our bodies and upsetting our natural ability to slip into slumber.

This is all well and good, but the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center also recognizes that it may be difficult to keep a consistent eating schedule given daily demands and shifting schedules. Fear not — there are things you can do, specifically by finding your own form of balance in your varying lifestyle. One simple way? Aim to get adequate sleep, about 7 to 9 hours per night to help keep a regular eating pattern.

Find Some Balance

It’s not just about when you eat, but what you eat, too (let’s face it, the what can be the hardest part). According to the National Sleep Foundation, eating heavy meals too close to bedtime can keep you awake. Overeating can lead to indigestion or stomach discomfort, making it tough for your body to relax. Spicy foods or caffeinated beverages also pose a threat, along with other foods that can trigger heartburn, like chocolate or citrus.

For many of us, dinner tends to be our larger meal of the day. But, UCLA notes we should be weary of consuming large portions too close to bedtime. It’s recommended to eat at least three hours before hitting the hay for an easier transition into snooze town.

Carbs are Your Friend (Really!)

Eating a balanced meal means including healthy carbohydrates, like whole grain bread, beans, or quinoa, which are not only good for your body, but good for your beauty rest.

Of course, we’re all familiar with tryptophan, which has been told to be the reason for your post-Thanksgiving meal sleepy food coma on your grandpa’s La-Z-Boy. If you’re not familiar with tryptophan, it’s a naturally-occurring substance that can trigger a sleep response in our bodies. Turkey is not the tryptophan culprit, it’s the carbs. According to the National Sleep Foundation, eating a meal high in carbs can increase tryptophan in the body, which prompts your body to produce serotonin and other sleep-inducing hormones.

If you need a bedtime snack, the National Sleep Foundation recommends having something with both a carbohydrate and a protein like oatmeal and milk.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in our bodies that helps regulate our circadian rhythm — aka our body’s internal clock. While certain factors like sunlight have a big impact on melatonin production, a study the National Institutes of Health found that eating foods rich in melatonin can have some effect on our ability to sleep.

Melatonin is found in most plants, according to the study, but some have higher concentrations than others. Foods like tomatoes, olives, barley, rice and walnuts have significant levels of melatonin compared to other plants.

The tried and true method of a warm cup of milk before bed is also a good idea, according to the study, because melatonin is naturally found in milk.

Bad News for Coffee Lovers

A few cups of coffee in the morning is a ritual many of us don’t want to do without, and the good news is we don’t have to. The coffee you might want to consider cutting out is that afternoon pick-me-up.

Since caffeine is a stimulant, it can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, caffeine typically stays in your body for five to six hours, but can stay in your system for as long as eight hours. That means a 4 p.m. coffee could disrupt a 10 p.m. bedtime. Following these guidelines, an after dinner cup of joe is out of the question…but there’s always decaf!

While science hasn’t found a definitive link between herbal teas and sleep, replacing an after dinner coffee (if decaf isn’t your thing) with an herbal tea is a safe, caffeine-free substitute if you’re craving a warm fix.

Sleep is essential, so it’s obviously frustrating when we aren’t getting enough of it. If you’re having trouble getting some shut eye, or feeling tired when you wake up, it’s worth assessing your diet and eating habits to see if some key changes might help you drift off at night. There are plenty of other reasons you might not be getting your best rest, though, from your bedroom conditions to technology use at night (give yourself a break between screen time and sleep time!).

We can’t promise you’ll head to bed as happy as Thanksgiving night, but with these tips, you’ll be a little closer to recreating that post-meal nap you’ll enjoy this Thanksgiving on a more frequent basis.