Rather than defining a certain time between dinner and bedtime, which largely depends on the type of nutrients in the foods you include at dinner, it is recommended that dinner be light to improve digestion and have a better quality of sleep.
The total calories of the light dinner should constitute approximately 20% of the recommendation daily energy.
The rest of the calories should be distributed between breakfast, lunch and a snack, if necessary.
If dinner is light, you can wait at least two hours before going to bed. A large dinner with excess fat and seasonings will take longer to digest and has a higher risk of acid reflux. At least 3 to 4 hours should be allowed to pass before going to bed.
It has been seen that having dinner very late or eating high-calorie and high-fat late-night snacks could make it difficult to sleep.
- What foods to avoid before going to sleep
To promote sleep, remember at dinner:
– If it is a light dinner, allow at least 2 hours before going to bed.
– Avoid large or high-fat dinners.
– Avoid drinks such as sodas or cola-based soft drinks, chocolate, coffee, tea with caffeine, due to their caffeine content and stimulating effects.
– A caffeine-free chamomile or lavender infusion or tea helps you relax at night.
– Restricts the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Since they could interfere with falling asleep and the quality of sleep, they can also cause you to wake up at night.
– Avoid drinking a lot of water or fluids at dinner, as it encourages you to have to get up to urinate frequently during the night.
Avoid consuming foods and drinks with sugar since it has been seen that their consumption is linked to sleep problems.
– Includes a moderate amount of protein that contains tryptophan, which is an amino acid that promotes sleep and adds a moderate amount of complex carbohydrates to help tryptophan reach the brain.
Have a turkey sandwich (high in tryptophan) for dinner with whole grain bread and a salad, for example.
– If you consume a light snack that are foods high in melatonin, which is the hormone that helps regulate the circadian rhythm and that promotes better sleep.
– Milk, yogurt, dairy enriched with melatonin, nuts, fruit such as cherries, grapes or strawberries contain high levels of melatonin.
Generally maintain a healthy lifestyle, have a balanced diet and exercise as part of your daily routine.
However, remember to avoid exercising just before falling asleep at night because it could increase stress hormones and worsen certain sleep-related problems.
How it helps to have a bedtime schedule and routine
The intake of Food is a regulating factor of the circadian system, so it is important to maintain fixed times in your meals, this is an important factor for better metabolic utilization and stability of body weight. Likewise, it helps to have a set schedule for going to sleep and waking up.
Respect the internal schedule
Physiological processes including sleep patterns and metabolic processes are controlled by what is known as the circadian rhythm. During the night many processes are slower.
The time does matter when eating a certain food
The metabolic response to the intake of a food may differ over the 24 hours, Therefore, it is not the same that a certain food is consumed for breakfast as it is for dinner. Respect time intervals of 3 to 4 hours between each meal and a range of 8 to 12 hours between dinner and Breakfast is desirable.
It is important for health to have healthy fasting-eating, physical activity and sleep-wake patterns.
Order schedules and sleep routine
One way to set schedules is by establishing routines that help to develop daily activities and especially having a daily routine at bedtime, which will allow you to relax and fall asleep.
Sleep Foundation recommends as part of your routine to go to sleep some simple tips such as taking a bath with hot water an hour before bed, reading, meditating or playing relaxing music.
As well as having a room free of noise with dim lighting, turn off all electrical appliances and electronic devices in the bedroom, including television, tablets, computers and cell phones so that they do not interfere with the natural production of melanin in your body and counteract the benefits of the foods you ate that promote sleep.
This makes it easier to respect the circadian cycle that is relevant to our health.
Eating late and its relationship with weight gain
In a study published in 2017 by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition it is mentioned that dining late is a new adverse risk factor for metabolic health, and could be related to weight gain and obesity.
The consumption of food at night, regardless of factors such as quantity, nutrient content and activity level plays an important role in the body composition.
Other studies mention that dining is fair before going to sleep is related to metabolic syndrome , which includes high blood pressure, abdominal fat, among others and can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases or type 2 diabetes.
Remember to dine li gero without high calorie, spicy or greasy foods and wait at least two hours before going to sleep.