After a sleep-friendly designed day, a good, restful night full of healthy sleep starts with a proper dinner. This also is a symbolic act of dividing the day passed (activity) from the oncoming night (passivity/sleep). Now, it is important to stick to relaxation and sleep rules. We are talking about sleep hygiene. From now on, everything you do or you don’t do counts. There is wide experience from sleep medicine and sleep psychology. Because, naturally your sleep also depends from your behavior and especially from your habits. It is important to get used to a “sleep-friendly behavior”. For example, step by step get accustomed to a regular time to go to bed. The dinner might be an appropriate starting signal.
Here, the rule is simple: prefer easily digestible meals, the mix of food is important, too.
When eating carbs eat wholemeal noodles, rice or bread or potatoes. A combination of movement in the sun and carbohydrates stimulates the production of serotonin (happy hormone). Serotonin is a precursor for the sleeping hormone melatonin.
Mix your carbs with tryptophan-containing foods like chicken, turkey, fish, cashews etc. Tryptophan is an amino-acid that favors the production of melatonin. In any case avoid fatty food.
By the way: the optimal time for your sleep-well-dinner is two to three hours before your actual time to go to bed.
Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.
Image: @deathtostockphoto