About 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have some type of sleeping disorder. But did you know that what you eat–or don’t eat–may impact how well you sleep? It can! There have been many studies out there that provide evidence about how nutrition can influence sleep quality. Nutrition can also play a role in disorders such as sleep apnea, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) and insomnia.
To help, here are three diet recommendations to follow that can potentially lead to better sleep.
Avoid inflammatory foods
This includes sugar, dairy products and gluten. Why? Because they can cause inflammation and weight gain all over the body. In turn, this can increase your chances of developing a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea.
Of those three inflammatory foods, sugar is the worst, though. That is because it causes inflammation all over the body, including the nasal passages, which can cause you to develop a bad habit of mouth breathing. In doing so, the lower jaw is set back and downard, which can lead to poor tongue position and swallowing habits.These all lead to sleeping problems.
Choose Omega 3s
Our diets are commonly filled with refined carbohydrates and animal proteins. What they do not include are many inflammation-reducing Omega 3s, which are fatty acids that have been shown to reduce cardiac arrest.
When choosing Omega 3s, look to fish such as anchovy, mackerel, salmon and sardines. Other options for Omega 3s include nuts and seeds, navy beans, soybeans and vegetables such as spinach and brussel sprouts.
Eat epigenetic boosters
When you choose an epigenetic diet, it can help maximize the health of your DNA. If you choose foods such as broccoli, turmeric and green tea, those have demonstrated the ability to slow or reverse damage to the DNA.
Vitamin B9 is also rich in folate which helps to improve epigenetics. These include citrus fruits, strawberries and leafy greens. Milk, meat, fish and eggs, which are foods rich in vitamin B12, are also part of the folate family and can help to boost epigenetics.
Contact Dr. Mayoor Patel at Craniofacial Pain & Dental Sleep Center of Georgia to learn more about how you can improve your sleep.
