Stacey Solomon gets tips and advice from sleep expert
Persistent sleep loss can cause a cascade of health problems, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes. One cannot be shocked into sleep, however. The most effective way to remedy sleep loss is to overhaul aspects of your lifestyle.
Research continues to emphasis the relationship between eating a healthy diet and a good night’s sleep.
To identify the most effective ingredients, a study published in the journal Cureus explored the impact specific food substances had on the sleeping patterns of medical students.
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 440 medical students, aged 18 to 24 years.
The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used to measure sleep quality and a self-made questionnaire that categorised foods according to their nutritional constitutions was used to measure the frequency of food consumption.
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The PSQI is a self-rated questionnaire which assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a one-month time interval.
What did the researchers find out?
Significant associations were found with soybeans, whole grains, processed meats, leafy greens, dark chocolate, spices, dairy products, products high in fat and sugar, lima beans, and carbohydrates in relation to sleep quality.
Soybeans exhibited a particularly strong association.
The odds of good sleep quality were 2.5 times more likely with soybean intake.
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In comparison, good sleep quality was 3.26 times more likely with carbohydrates and 6.57 times more likely with lima beans.
Curiously, intake of papayas was associated with reduced sleep quality.
Other key lifestyle tips
A substantial amount of research has shown that getting regular exercise can improve sleep.
Both aerobic exercise (such as cardio and running), as well as resistance exercise (for example weightlifting) can improve sleep quality.
As the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) points out, any amount of movement may improve sleep, although younger people usually require more exercise than older people to see the same benefits.
“Usually, exercise in the afternoon or early evening helps with sleep,” explains the NSF.
It adds: “Exercise done just before sleep will increase stress hormones, which can worsen sleep problems.”
Simple self-help tip
Keeping regular sleeping hours can help to reset the body clock.
“This programmes the brain and internal body clock to get used to a set routine,” explains the NHS.
As the health body explains, most adults need between six and nine hours of sleep every night.
By working out what time you need to wake up, you can set a regular bedtime schedule.
“While it may seem like a good idea to try to catch up on sleep after a bad night, doing so on a regular basis can also disrupt your sleep routine,” adds the NHS.
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