Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Nutrition affects sleep: The choice of foods has a major impact on your sleep quality.
- Foods that promote sleep: Magnesium and tryptophan help with falling asleep.
- Avoid sleep disruptors: Caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals impair sleep.
Table of contents
Understanding sleep quality and sleep onset difficulties
To know how to sleep better, it's important to understand healthy sleep more precisely. Healthy sleep – why it's important .
What does healthy sleep mean?
Sleep is a basic biological need. During the night, you go through different sleep phases :
- Light sleep: Your muscles relax and your breathing slows down.
- Deep sleep: Important recovery processes take place.
- REM sleep: Your brain processes experiences.
These phases help you regenerate at night and wake up fit and energized in the morning. (Source: Center for Health )
Why is restful sleep important?
Without enough restful sleep, your concentration becomes more difficult, you are irritable and quickly feel exhausted. In the long run, sleep deprivation can even harm your health.
What causes difficulty falling asleep?
There can be many reasons why you have trouble falling asleep:
- Stress, worries and mental strain
- Too much noise or a sleeping environment that is too bright
- Irregular sleep schedules or shift work
- Poor diet or stimulants
If you try to get these difficulties under control, you have a good chance of improving your sleep quality.
The influence of diet on sleep
Your diet has a major impact on how well you sleep and whether you can fall asleep.
Food as a sleep aid
Some foods can help you fall asleep more easily. Others can keep you awake and delay falling asleep.
Melatonin and serotonin
Melatonin is your natural sleep hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm. Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin and also has a mood-enhancing effect. Your body needs tryptophan, which is found in protein, to produce these important hormones. (Source: dodor.ch )
Meals and their timing
Eating late puts a strain on your body. Your digestion works harder, which can make it harder to fall asleep. Experts therefore recommend eating your dinner no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime. (Source: WHOOP )
These insights will help you to make your eating habits more sleep-friendly.
Foods that promote sleep
These foods will effectively help you improve your sleep quality:
Magnesium-rich foods
Magnesium calms nerves and muscles and makes sleep restful:
- Almonds, cashews
- pumpkin seeds
- whole grain products
- Green leafy vegetables (Source: SLEEPSCORE )
Foods containing tryptophan
Tryptophan helps you fall asleep more easily and produce melatonin:
- Dairy products
- bananas
- Legumes
- Eggs and poultry meat (Source: SLEEPSCORE )
Sleep-promoting drinks
In the evening, opt for calming drinks to ensure a restful sleep:
- Chamomile tea
- Valerian tea
- Warm milk with honey (Source: dodor.ch )
Important vitamins and minerals
In addition to magnesium, vitamin D, calcium, and zinc also help improve your sleep. (Source: SLEEPSCORE )
Foods that disrupt sleep
Be careful with these foods, they can worsen sleep problems:
caffeine
Avoid caffeinated foods in the afternoon and evening:
- Coffee and black tea
- Energy drinks, cola, chocolate
alcohol
Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but it massively disrupts your sleep cycles and sleep quality. (Source: WHOOP )
Heavy, fatty and sugary meals
They cause restlessness when falling asleep because your body has to digest intensively.
Spiced and highly processed foods
These can trigger heartburn and discomfort, thus impairing restful sleep.
Practical nutritional strategies for better sleep
Helpful practical strategies to improve your sleep immediately:
- Plan regular meals.
- Eat light, easily digestible foods in the evening, such as wholemeal bread with quark or turkey breast.
- Drink enough water during the day, but reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.
- If you feel hungry before bed, opt for mild snacks (banana, milk).
Additional tips for healthy sleep
Besides diet, these measures will help you sleep restfully:
- Ensure a quiet, dark, and cool sleeping environment.
- Try to go to bed at the same time every day and get up regularly.
- Use relaxation techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, or muscle relaxation. Breathe better through your nose.
- Incorporate regular physical activity during the day, but avoid strenuous activity in the evening.
- Reduce screen time and blue light exposure in the evenings.
Conclusion
Better sleep depends significantly on your diet. The right foods promote restful sleep and protect against sleep problems. By changing unfavorable habits, you can quickly experience improvements and finally start the day rested and full of energy.
Try these tips and find out what works best for you. We look forward to hearing about your experience!
Additional resources and further reading
You can find further information on the following pages:
If you experience persistent sleep problems, we also recommend that you consult a doctor or nutritionist.
FAQ
Which foods promote sleep?
Foods rich in magnesium, such as almonds and green leafy vegetables, as well as foods containing tryptophan, such as dairy products and bananas, promote restful sleep.
Which foods should I avoid before going to sleep?
Caffeinated drinks, alcohol, heavy and fatty meals, and highly processed foods should be avoided before bedtime, as they can impair sleep.
How does my diet affect my sleep quality?
Diet influences the production of sleep hormones and your body's ability to rest. Certain foods promote falling asleep, while others can make it more difficult.
