I WANT REST! Nourishment and Sleeping patterns.....(Daytime & Nightime Fatigue and Sleepiness)

 

Let’s face it, a large quantity of American people bestow unhealthy life choices. These choices come in various forms but today, I’ll discuss on nutrition and its effects on sleep. Many people suffer from sleep deprivation. Out of these people, teens are effected at a higher percentage. For some teens, it is by choice but for many other teenagers, it is caused by their inability to fall asleep. Their inabilities to fall asleep may be because of malnutrition. Taking in the necessary vitamins and minerals during the day is essential for good night’s rest.  Adjusting your diet can help you go to sleep at night as well as helping to stay awake during the day. 

 

There are many foods that you can eat to improve sleep. For example: a few foods that improve sleeping functions are dairy/ milk, tea, almonds, bananas and oatmeal. 

 

Dairy products (Milk, yogurt etc.) can enhance your sleeping hours. As we all know, milk has vitamin D and calcium. Calcium lower stress levels and it also helps stabilize nerve fibers including those of which in the brain. Not only will your favorite cup of Yoplait yogurt help you fall asleep, but it also will help you stop warring about the stresses of IB.  

 

Magnesium is also a key nutrient that plays a key role in bodily function that regulates sleep. Many insomnia patients suffer from magnesium deficiency. This important mineral is found in leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, nuts, beans, lentils and many varieties of fish. 

 

The next important mineral that is necessary for sleep is Potassium. According to a study in a 1991 sleep journal, Potassium supplements were helpful to those who had trouble sleeping. Potassium is often found through pill/supplementation form but Bananas are also abundant in potassium. Potassium is 20% of the daily value in the Banana. Sweet potatoes and Avocados are also great sources of potassium.  

 

Another nutrient that reduces fatigue and increases nightly sleep is Vitamin D. In a recent study, the Journal club of clinical sleep medicine found that there was a strong correlation between daytime sleepiness and the deficiency of Vitamin D. As we spoke in class, Sun exposure is the most abundant source for the vitamin but unfortunately, not everyone can receive this sun exposure due to their health concerns. Too much sun exposure can cause skin cancer which is fatal. Fortunately, there are foods with sources of vitamin D that will help you intake this nutrient in a different form. Fish, Fish liver oil's and many dairy products are abundant in this nutrient. 

 

These discoveries by biologist and chemist are still in effect. Although these studies are continuous, most of them are already proven. These nutritional studies show that a healthy lifestyle and diet can dramatically improve sleep. Applying some of these foods in nutrients in our daily lives can help us have a better nights rest after those five hours we spend on homework.

 

 

 

Links to studies: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1947601

http://www.aastweb.org/store/product.aspx?pid=707

 

 

 

 Here is an interesting video: