Food and Exercise and Sleep

Some simple reminders of habits to change that will affect your sleep. Alcohol, midnight snacks, exercise, caffeine – are these good or bad when we are trying to get to sleep?

Food and Exercise and Sleep

Clearly our eating and exercise regime affects our whole body functioning. The relationship between diet and exercise and sleep is not clearly understood, but there are some basic guidelines.

Food Before Bed Avoid eating at least 3 hours before bed, and make the last meal of the day a light one. A late meal and heavy food sit in your stomach and takes hours to digest. If you are really hungry, have a warm milk drink, like hot chocolate, before bed. A balanced healthy diet has an important affect on sleeping, with a good breakfast, a modest lunch and light supper and perhaps a light snack before bed if needed. If your stomach is growling just before bedtime, you could lie there hungry. A light snack is fine.

Alcohol? No, not before bed. Even though it makes you feel drowsy, alcohol can affect your sleep.

Caffeine Reduce or eliminate caffeine especially towards the end of the day. Coffee, tea, headache tablets, many soft drinks and chocolate are the worst offenders. However, there are some people who can quaff down an Italian Espresso before turning out the light, and still sleep soundly. You will know if you are one of the few.

Water And other drinks. Drink most of your fluid during the day. Save yourself from midnight visits to the bathroom by having your last drink several hours before retiring.

Exercise Vigorous activity shortly before bed just gets your body going – not slowing down and relaxing. A late night game of squash or a session on the exercise bike will stimulate your heart, brain and muscles and is the last thing you want before bed.

Regular exercise, on the other hand, actually promotes sounder sleep; you will sleep longer and feel more awake during the day. Many complain that they don’t have time to exercise or that they are too tired to go the gym or walk round the block. Studies show that when you exert energy, you actually create more energy long-term. Research has found that energetic exercise in the late afternoon or early evening is best. You raise your metabolic rate, and then have time for it to subside before bedtime. Raise your heart rate for 20 minutes by walking, jogging, swimming etc. Three to four times a week will make significant changes.

Gentle Stretching and Yoga are possible, not energetic yoga. Practicing Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is recommended.

When you complete this process once or twice, your body feels totally relaxed, sometimes to the point where you are not aware of your toes etc. With this Progressive Muscle Relaxation Method (PMR) you deliberately tense then relax groups of muscles as you work your way up your body.

Here’s what to do. Lie on your back, hands at either side. Starting with your toes, ‘clench’ or tighten your toes on one foot into a tight ball for 10 seconds, let go. Now tighten your calf muscles on the same leg; let go, now your thigh muscles. Switch to the other leg. Next your abdomen, then each arm, chest, neck, throat, facial muscles and head. Tighten only the special muscles you are working on, keeping the rest of your body relaxed. Nice and slow. When you have completed one round you should feel very relaxed, but sometimes a second round will be needed.

This PMR Process not only has the affect of relaxing your body, but by the time you have completed this routine once or twice you will often find that you have fallen asleep before you finish.

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