8 Foods That Affect Your Sleep
We think we pretty much have the basics down for foods we should and shouldn’t eat right before bed. If we want to sleep well, that is. Coffee? Bad idea. Warm milk? Nice and relaxing. At least, this is what we’ve all been taught from childhood by our Mothers Dearest. But it turns out Mother might not always know best; there are a ton of other foods you can add and take away from your diet to get yourself a good night’s rest. Combine this with the yoga poses for insomnia and you have a better chance of being out like a light.
1. Good: Almonds
If you are trying to kick the dairy habit but want to get that magnesium lull of warm milk, almonds contain hefty doses of magnesium, tryptophan and melatonin. This makes it a perfect combination of ideal sleep-promoting aids. Try eating a handful an hour or so before bed.
2. Bad: Grapefruit
Ever had bad heartburn while you’re lying there in bed? Kiss the grapefruit goodbye; grapefruit increases your stomach’s acidity. If you’d like to avoid heartburn, keep away from grapefruits, oranges, lemons, or any acidic fruits and vegetables (including juices).
3. Good: Oatmeal
It’s normally thought of as a breakfast food, but the benefits of eating oatmeal before bed might change your mind. Oatmeal is full of plenty of sleep-promoting nutrients, like magnesium, potassium calcium and phosphorous. If you want to switch it up and make it a dessert, you can make a porridge, or serve your family some breakfast cookies.
4. Bad: Celery
While normally celery is a perfectly healthy selection, you shouldn’t munch on it right before bed. Celery has natural diuretic properties, which can be a pain when you’re getting up and out of bed every hour to use the restroom. Better to save it as an afternoon snack, instead. Throw ginger and parsley into this category, as well.
5. Good: Raspberries & Tart Cherries
You know melatonin is a great sleep aid, but did you know tart berries like raspberries and cherries are good superfood sources? It’s true! Go ahead and snack away on these fruits an hour before bed.
6. Bad: Greasy & Fried Foods
Surprise, surprise: people who eat fatty, greasy and fried foods in the evening tend to get less productive sleep than those who don’t. Your stomach is working extra hard to digest the stuff, and can lead to indigestion and heart burn. It’s fine to indulge in calorie-rich foods every once in a while, but try to do so at least 3 hours before you go to sleep to make sure it doesn’t cause issue for you later.
7. Good: Bananas
Say hello to plenty of potassium and magnesium! Bananas are an excellent late night snack and natural muscle relaxer. It also contains tryptophan, the same amino acid that gives turkey its famous sleep-inducing reputation.
8. Bad: Spicy Foods
Not only will you be possibly gassy in bed, but spicy foods take a toll on your gut. They also may impact your sleep. It’s best to avoid spicy meals right before hitting the sack.
About the Author
Ancient Practice Lets You Explore Deep States of Consciousness in Your Sleep
Roughly a third of our life is spent sleeping, or at least attempting to get some rest in order to take advantage of the other two-thirds in wakeful consciousness. Ideally, this state is rejuvenating and accompanied by pleasant dreams, allowing the body to clear out all the toxins and amyloids that build up throughout the day.
But what if you could get some of that time back, or use it more productively, while also getting the regenerative benefits of deep slumber?
Don’t worry, this isn’t some new biohacking regimen with bizarre, intermittent naps, but rather a method referred to as dream yoga. Despite its name, dream yoga isn’t an attempt to perform asanas in reverie, but instead to meditatively explore the myriad levels within our minds.
A number of enlightened, spiritual masters are said to have achieved an interminable state of consciousness during their lifetime, in which they maintained awareness while they allowed their bodies to rest at night. These gurus took advantage of every minute of life to explore their inner sanctums and spelunk the deepest caves of consciousness.
Other contemporary dream state explorers, or oneironauts as they’re sometimes called, have attempted to map out the topography of the mind based on eastern philosophy, namely John C. Lily. Lily’s psychic explorations led to his development of the sensory deprivation isolation tank, in order to cultivate a dissociative state where one could detach from the body and explore the levels of satori-samadhi.
But according to Andrew Holecek, a student of Buddhist philosophy and evangelist for dream yoga, one needn’t be an ascetic or employ an expensive float tank to delve into the depths of the mind on the nightly. Instead, a little discipline and technique can allow a dreamer to travel through cosmic consciousness while still getting a good night’s rest.
Holecek says there are up to nine nocturnal states one can enter in preparation for and during dream yoga. The first of which is called “liminal dreaming,” otherwise known as hypnagogic dreaming; a state in which one is not quite awake nor asleep, but in an in-between state before dozing off.
This state is when things become blurry, but by intentionally maintaining a modicum of awareness, one is able to become active in the dream state — a practice known as lucid dreaming.
