Diet and Sleep Part Two

You are what you eat

I can hear you saying, "Okay... now I have to watch what I eat

and when I eat it... but now you are going to limit my fluids?"

No! However, there are certain factors that should be kept in

mind when drinking any type of fluids. One troublesome item is

caffeine. Caffeine interferes with sleep with most people.

Caffeine can also become an addiction... so watching our intake

should be important.

Nursing mothers should be even more careful

than most others, since the caffeine can travel through the

breast milk to the infant causing many problems with the child's

sleep patterns. Infants do not process the caffeine very well,

and it takes a long time for the caffeine to exit their systems.

With this in mind, caffeine can build up in the infant's system

causing many different sleep disturbances.

So how much caffeine does it take to cause problems? This

question can be answered simply by stating that everyone is

different. One person could be affected with two cups of coffee,

when others can drink more and not have a terrible effect. One

soft drink contains the same amount of caffeine that is in one

half cup of coffee.

To avoid such problems, one should try and

not consume and coffees, teas, or soft drinks that contain

caffeine after their dinner. Some that seem to be overly

sensitive to the effects of caffeine should try to limit their

intake even sooner than dinner. It takes three full hours for

one cup of coffee to be eliminated from the system.

The extras

We've hit upon certain factors in both food and fluids that can

hamper sleep or induce sleep. When doing research, I came upon

some extras that need to be addressed as well. Many people have

taken candy bars and the such to work or school to help boost

their energy. However, the effects of the sugar can actually do

the exact opposite at times. Eating sugary foods can boost your

level of energy, but it will be used by the body at a fast rate.

The body processes sugar,  which then triggers insulin to be

released, therefore creating an incredible sugar high. Once the

sugar starts being processed out of the system, the individual

may experience an energy low causing sleepiness or irritability.

Everyone has a different effect from sugar, but for sleeping

sake... one should try and stay away from sugary foods until

after the part of the day that they need to be most productive.

The same is said about just before bedtime. By taking in that

sugar before you try to go to sleep, it will hinder it by

creating the sugar high... therefore causing you to stay awake.

Nicotine is the other extra that can hamper your sleep patterns.

Along with alcohol... they both can interrupt your sleep.

Nicotine is a stimulant that will cause you much grief with

insomnia. Alcohol is a depressant that if taken in doses large

enough will cause you to become sleepy. By taking these drugs,