it’s not a secret that sleep is important to everything that has to do with our health — from strengthening our immune system and contributing to our energy levels to helping with muscle-building and supporting cognitive ability. but how can we ensure we are getting the amount of quality of sleep our bodies need to maintain all of these important functions?
one way is by understanding the connection between what we eat and our sleep patterns, a link that researchers have been investigating: does diet affects sleep, or sleep affect diet, or both?
what do circadian rhythms and hormones have to do with diet?
our sleep cycle is regulated by
circadian rhythms
— a natural internal process that regulates our sleep and wake cycle. circadian rhythms operate on 24-hour cycles and are regulated by genes, light-dark cycles, as well as hormones.
melatonin is a key hormone produced in response to darkness, and it may encourage both
sleep onset
and
sleep quality
. tryptophan is a precursor for melatonin, and an essential amino acid, meaning it must be obtained from food, such as milk, canned tuna, turkey, chicken, oats, cheese, nuts, bread, chocolate and fruits. while melatonin generally can be taken safely as a supplement to help with sleep, it should not be a long-term strategy. speak with your doctor before supplementing to ensure safety.