QUESTION: Does food affect sleep?

The nature of nutrition has a direct impact on the quality of our sleep and the ability to fall asleep quickly. Heavy, fatty, or spicy food forces the digestive system to work in enhanced mode all night, which prevents the body from relaxing and leads to frequent nighttime awakenings.

To ensure peaceful sleep, it is recommended to stop heavy meals two to three hours before going to bed, allowing the stomach to digest the food. Alcohol, despite the initial sedative effect, significantly worsens the quality of nighttime rest, destroys REM sleep phases, and causes frequent awakenings in the second half of the night.

At the same time, certain foods can promote relaxation due to the content of tryptophan, an amino acid involved in the synthesis of sleep hormones. These include warm milk, turkey, bananas, and oatmeal, which can be used as a light evening snack. Coffee lovers should remember that caffeine is eliminated from the body in at least six hours, so its consumption should be completely stopped in the afternoon.