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How to eat to sleep better

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How to eat to sleep better

Sleep is important, and what you eat and when could be the key to regularly catching your forty winks (Photo: Supplied)

Do you have trouble falling asleep at night or do you regularly wake up feeling tired? If so, you might find answers by learning about the connection between your body’s blood sugar response to food and the quality of your sleep.

Lingo, a biosensor, app and coaching program from global healthcare leader Abbott, is designed to help people better understand their glucose levels to create new positive habits, including those that could lead to a better night’s sleep.

Below, Lingo’s Director of Clinical and Medical Affairs, Dr Amy McKenzie, explains why a good quality nap is so important for your health, before sharing her top tips for falling (and staying) asleep.

Why sleep (and the type of sleep) is important

Few things are better than waking up after a good night’s sleep and feeling ready to take on the day.

But the impact of good sleep goes beyond just feeling refreshed: it can profoundly affect your overall well-being, from your physical health to your mood and energy levels.

Sleep isn’t just a numbers game: quality is as important as quantity when it comes to a restful night in bed (Photo: Getty)

You’ll often find that people focus on the number of hours they sleep, but that’s not the only thing that matters. The quality of your sleep is also important. Quality and quantity can be affected by your eating habits.

What happens if you don’t get enough, good quality sleep?

Disrupted sleep patterns can affect your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and can lead to greater changes in blood sugar the next day.1.

Lack of sleep can also increase hunger and appetite2. If we look for sweeter foods that cause glucose to drop in the hours after the peak drops, this is also associated not only with a greater appetite, but also with increased consumption the next day.3.

Over the long term, poor or inadequate sleep is associated with an increased risk of certain diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.4.

Dietary tips for better sleep

According to research5having more stable glucose levels is linked to more sleep. This means that your eating habits throughout the day, especially in the evening, can play an important role in ensuring that you get the rest your body needs.

What should you avoid to stop an untimely energy spike? Sugars and processed carbs can negatively impact your downtime (Photo: Supplied)

Meals high in processed carbs and sugars can cause large, rapid spikes in blood sugar that can disrupt your sleep. As glucose levels rise, blood sugar fluctuates more throughout the day, leading to fewer hours of sleep at night.5.

In contrast, meals that contain fewer carbohydrates and are balanced in protein, fiber, and healthy fats help promote more stable glucose levels, potentially contributing to more restful sleep.

That said – and interestingly – glucose responses to foods vary greatly from person to person.6.

This is why it can be helpful to use a continuous glucose monitor like Lingo, which gives you insight into the impact of different food combinations on your blood sugar in real time.

The Lingo app then provides personal information and coaching to help you make meal choices that can keep your blood sugar levels more stable and, in turn, improve your sleep.

A perfect pocket companion, the Lingo app provides real-time information on how the foods you eat impact your glucose levels (Photo: Supplied)
It may be helpful to use a continuous glucose monitor like Lingo, which gives you insight into how different food combinations impact your glucose levels (Photo: Supplied)

It will even send you weekly progress reports to help you stay motivated throughout the process.

More than a decade ago, Abbott launched FreeStyle Libre, a continuous glucose monitor now used by 6 million* people worldwide. Lingo is manufactured by Abbott and is based on this proven technology.

The Lingo system is not intended for medical use and is intended for users 18 years of age and older. Lingo is not intended for the diagnosis or management of any disease, including diabetes.

The Lingo program does not guarantee that everyone will achieve the same results, as individual responses may vary. It’s best to talk to your doctor for advice on starting a diet or exercise program or if you suffer from an eating disorder or have a history of eating disorders .

© 2024 Abbott. All rights reserved. Biosensor housing, Lingo and related marks are trademarks of the Abbott group of companies. Other brands are the property of their respective owners.

Five more Lingo tips for sleeping

Are you looking to improve the quality of your sleep? These top five tips might help (Photo: Supplied)

1. Create an environment conducive to sleep

Keeping your bedroom tidy and investing in comfortable bedding and blinds to block out light can make a big difference in the quality and duration of your sleep.

2. Avoid electronic devices

Scrolling through online content stimulates your brain, which can make you feel awake and alert. That’s why it’s best to avoid phones and laptops before bed.

3. Avoid night glasses

Research has shown7 that drinking alcohol right before bed can lead to restlessness and trouble sleeping because it alters sleep stages.

4. Reduce your caffeine intake

We all process caffeine at different rates, so to be safe, it’s best to avoid drinking it at least six hours before bed. Instead, opt for decaffeinated alternatives.

5. Time your exercise

Exercise is great for keeping your body healthy and reducing anxiety, but try to avoid vigorous activities and intense workouts ending within an hour before bed because a higher heart rate and less “Rest and digest” nervous system activity appears to have a negative impact on sleep.8.

1. Tsereteli N, et al. Impact of insufficient sleep on dysregulated glycemic control under standardized meal conditions. Diabetology. February 2022;65(2):356-365. PMID: 34845532.

2. Knutson KL. Impact of sleep and sleep loss on glucose homeostasis and appetite regulation. Sleep medicine clinic. June 2007;2(2):187-197. PMID: 18516218.

3. Wyatt P et al. Postprandial Glycemic Decreases Predict Appetite and Energy Intake in Healthy Individuals. Nat Metab. 2021 April ;3(4):523-529. PMID: 33846643.

4. Institute of Medicine (United States) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research; Colten HR, Altevogt BM, editors. Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: an unresolved public health problem. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (United States); 2006.

5. Yoshimura E et al. Relationship between intraindividual variability in nutrition-related lifestyle behaviors and blood glucose outcomes under free-living conditions in adults without type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. February 2023; 196: 110231. PMID: 36565723.

6. Zeevi D et al. Personalized nutrition by prediction of glycemic responses. Cell. 19 November 2015;163(5):1079-1094. PMID: 26590418.

7. Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. April 2013;37(4):539-49. doi: 10.1111/acer.12006. Online publication January 24, 2013. PMID: 23347102.

8. Stutz J, et al. Effects of evening exercise on sleep in healthy participants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports medicine. February 2019;49(2):269-287. PMID: 30374942.

*Recorded data, Abbott Diabetes Care, Inc. Based on the number of users worldwide of the FreeStyle Libre portfolio compared to the number of users of other leading sensor-based blood glucose monitoring systems for personal use.