Are you twisting and turning too much? Not getting sufficient Zsss most nights? It could be due to several factors. But could food be one of the reasons? Let’s bust some myths around it, shall we?

Myth 1: Sleeping on a full stomach (read heavy) will give you a deep and sound sleep.
Fact: Maybe you are relating that sleepy head you get after having a heavy wedding lunch! But when it comes to having a heavy dinner and going to bed immediately after, you might not get the same feeling necessarily. A heavy meal just before your bed-time can have a lot of side-effects. It can make you gain a few unhealthy pounds, it can give you regurgitations (and acidity), and can also give you disturbed sleep. To get a sound sleep, get into a habit of a heavy breakfast, a good lunch, a light non-fried snack, and a light and early dinner. Give a gap of at least 2 hours between your dinner and bed-time.

Myth 2: No foods can help me sleep better, only a sleeping pill can.
Fact: Having difficulty in falling asleep or not getting a sound sleep for 7 hours straight can be due to various reasons. There can be various foods you can try to overcome these sleeping issues before popping the pills! Try these foods – 
-    Warm milk with a pinch of turmeric (contains an amino acid called tryptophan, known as a precursor to sleep hormone melatonin)
-    Chamomile tea (contains antioxidants that help reduce insomnia)
-    Almonds and walnuts (contain sleep inducing hormones)
-    Kiwi (contains serotonin which helps in regulating sleep cycles)
-    Fish like Salmon/ tuna/ mackerel (include this once a week – contain omega 3 fatty acid and vitamin D – known to promote serotonin production) 

Myth 3: Coffee doesn’t affect my sleep.
Fact: Caffeine is known to make you more alert by suppressing the secretion of melatonin (the hormone which induces sleep). It increases the production of dopamine (the feel-good hormone) and gives you that high! If you are not able to get a sound sleep, check your caffeine intake. Try avoiding it during the second half of the day, so that it doesn’t affect your sleep during night. Cutting down coffee intake to 1 small cup per day also helps improve the quality of sleep.

Myth 4: Only coffee disrupts sleep, no other foods.
Fact: Intake of coffee affects sleep adversely. But its not the only food containing caffeine! Other beverages like tea, soft drinks such as cola, red bull, sports drink, energy drinks, dark chocolate are all known to contain caffeine in different amounts. Foods high in fats consumed during dinner can also have a negative impact on your sleep. Foods high on spices and chilli can increase acidity, affecting sleep.

Myth 5: Smoking may cause cancer, doesn’t have anything to do with my sleeplessness.
Fact: Smoking (both active and passive) exposes you to high levels of nicotine which is a stimulant like caffeine. It alters your body’s normal circadian rhythm and disrupts your sleeping pattern. Many studies have shown that people who smoke have difficulty falling asleep. They tend to wake up multiple times during their night’s sleep. They have also been seen having more mood swings and irritability, both of which may increase anxiety and affect sleep adversely; pushing them into a vicious cycle.

Myth 6: Sleep doesn’t affect my weight, only eating fats does.
Fact: Untreated sleep issues can make you gain unhealthy weight. If you are not getting enough sleep, you are most of the times low on energy (because you haven’t rested well). When you are low on energy, and are irritable, you tend to go for unhealthy and easily available foods instead of making healthier choices. The lethargy from lack of sleep also makes you skip your exercise, affecting your weight. A disturbed circadian rhythm also affects your metabolism, affecting your weight too. That’s the reason Dietitians will always insist on getting a sound sleep in addition to eating healthy and being physically active when it comes to weight loss!

Myth 7: Alcohol makes me sleep better.
Fact: Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster than usual, but it doesn’t mean it improves the quality of your sleep. You generally fall into deep sleep around 90 mins after you fall asleep (known as the REM sleep). This phase is responsible for you feel refreshed and fully alert the next day, without feeling sleepy through the day. Alcohol tends to disrupt this phase of your sleeping cycle, and makes you feel tired and irritated the next day. Alcohol affects the quality of our sleep, and that’s not healthy.