World Nutrition Union Eat the right healthy foods and get yourself a good night s sleep

Mondo Health Updated on 2024-02-01

After a busy day of work and life, lying in bed finally had a time of his own, enthusiastically brushed up the short **, unconsciously an hour passed, so he hurriedly adjusted the alarm clock and began to sleep, but he couldn't fall asleep for a long time, tossing and turning, and ......couldn't sleepThis may be the normal life of many office workers, and a good night's sleep may become a luxury for many people.

The quality of sleep determines our physical health and quality of life, and deep sleep is very important for repairing the body and integrating memory. According to the 2022 China Healthy Sleep Survey Report, nearly 3 4 people in China have had sleep problems, and 19-35 years old is the age group with a high incidence of sleep problems. Difficulty falling asleep more than three times a week, and symptoms for more than 3 months are chronic insomnia. Long-term insomnia or lack of sleep has a great impact on human health, and the pressure during the day cannot be released, and the body damage cannot be repaired in time, which will cause a number of diseases over time. Studies have shown that when women do not sleep well, the health of women is more affected than that of men, and they are more likely to have endocrine disorders, obesity, hair loss, immunity and other related problems, and some diseases will aggravate insomnia and enter a vicious circle. Therefore, we must face up to our own sleep problems, actively try and solve them.

Sleep is a comprehensive problem, and sleep quality is related to a number of factors.

Genetics, city, age, occupation, working hours, work pressure, outdoor activity time, bedtime habits, diet and underlying diseases are all closely related to sleep. From our own point of view, we can improve sleep through several aspects, such as dietary adjustments, improved sleep cognition, and lifestyle adjustments.

Increase melatonin-rich foods that are nutritious and safe

Melatonin regulates sleep rhythms."Dark signalMelatonin is an indole hormone secreted by the pineal gland, which has a variety of physiological functions and pharmacological activities, and its role as an endogenous hypnotic substance to induce physiological sleep and regulate sleep-wake rhythm has been scientifically verified. Melatonin transmits external photocyclical signals to various tissues and organs in the body in the form of circadian rhythms more effectively, so that their functional activities can adapt to changes in the external environment. Melatonin secretion increases gradually at night, peaking at 1 a.m. and decreasing sharply to a very low level in the early morning.

Melatonin supplements are more suitable for older adults with insomnia. The secretion of melatonin changes with age, melatonin can be detected at birth in infants, there is a significant circadian rhythm after 3 months, the secretion is the highest at the age of 3-5, the secretion is reduced to 70% at the age of 6-8, and the level of adults is reduced at the age of 12, and the level of melatonin is significantly reduced after entering the old age, and the circadian rhythm becomes unstable. Studies have proven that melatonin has a good clinical application value for sleep disorders caused by biological rhythm disorders. Older people with insomnia can adjust their sleep with exogenous melatonin supplements as prescribed.

Young people can increase their intake of melatonin-rich foods. Young people who work at night for a long time and stay up late frequently will also break the synthetic rhythm of melatonin, and urban light pollution and mobile phone screen lighting will also inhibit the secretion of melatonin. However, it is not recommended for young people to use melatonin supplements, because long-term use of melatonin supplements can bring about own melatonin synthesis disorders, headaches, dizziness, stomach upset, etc.

Therefore, it is recommended to appropriately increase melatonin-rich foods in the daily diet, such as milk, tomatoes, strawberries, walnuts, onions, cucumbers, cherries, bananas, oats, corn, etc. In recent years, the nutritional value of melatonin in milk has gradually been recognized, and a certain amount of natural foodborne melatonin in milk is safe, easy to absorb and digest, and is a good supplement to exogenous melatonin**.

.Low giFoods high in dietary fiber and low in saturated fatty acids are more conducive to sleep

Dinner is closely related to sleep quality. First of all, you can't be too hungry or too full before bed. Eating too little can lead to hypoglycemia, promote the synthesis of adrenaline and cortisol, and make it easy to feel irritable or slightly excited; Eating too much will prolong the time of gastrointestinal peristalsis and delay the time of deep sleep. Secondly, dinner needs to ensure that blood sugar is stable throughout the night, and foods with low GI and high dietary fiber should be selected, such as low GI staple foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Some studies have found that a high-fat and high-sugar diet can change brain waves during deep sleep, which may lead to shorter sleep duration and lower sleep quality. Thirdly, try not to eat within 3 hours before bedtime, especially not to drink caffeinated and alcoholic beverages.

Insomnia Cognitive-Behavior**

Cognitive** helps patients understand the physiological effects of sleep, corrects misconceptions, and enhances adherence to behaviors, which in turn can play a long-term role, such as stimulus control, sleep restriction, and relaxation.

Stimulus control** to re-establish "sleep conditioning". Go to bed and get up at a fixed time, regard the bed as a sleep stimulant, **After starting to fall asleep, do not play with mobile phones or eat and other behaviors, if there is still no sleepiness after 15 minutes, you can get out of bed and go to another room to move slightly, and return to the room to sleep after sleepiness, after trial and error, the bed will induce us to fall asleep.

Sleep restriction** to improve sleep efficiency. Sleep efficiency is the proportion of time spent asleep compared to the time spent lying in bed, and the higher the sleep efficiency, the better the sleep quality. Reduce the amount of time spent awake in bed, such as lying in bed, to accumulate sleep stress and release it intensively.

Relax** and completely empty your mind and body. Reduce physical tension through abdominal breathing, mindfulness meditation, or visualizing a light-hearted scene to reduce arousal to promote the initiation and maintenance of sleep.

Lifestyle adjustments

1) Sleep priority, work during the day, do not take the initiative to stay up late, and ensure night sleep time.

2) Try to ensure more than half an hour of outdoor exercise during the day every day, and do not exercise vigorously 1 hour before going to bed.

3) Don't play with your phone an hour before bedtime.

4) If you have oral and respiratory problems and severe sleep disorders, you should seek medical attention in time.

5) Create a sleeping environment and pay attention to the quality of bedding. Suitable temperature and humidity in the room, comfortable mattresses, and curtains with good blackout. etc. are important for a good night's sleep.

References. 1.Li Na. Study on the influencing factors of lifestyle, chronic medical history and **sleep status[D].China Medical University, 20235

2.Wang fang. Analysis of factors influencing the hypnotic effect of melatonin[D].Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 20227

3.Liu Xuening. Research status and development prospects of natural melatonin functional milk[J].China Dairy Cows, 20237

4.Swallow sound. High-fat and high-sugar diet affects sleep[n].Health Times, 20236

5.Chen Xi. Scientific interpretation of whether melatonin is a panacea for sleep [N].China Food, 20239

6.Zhang peng. *Insomnia cognitive behavior**Key technology and process improvement suggestions[J].Modern Neurological Diseases in China, 202311

World Nutrition Union.

Promote the food and catering field towards the era of nutrition, health and high quality.

E-mail: nu@wnucn

Related Pages