weir: sleep really is the best medicine
my mom's mantra was 'sleep is the best medicine.' she was so right. and it turns out there are foods that can help.
3 minute read
sleep is the best medicine. it’s a mantra my mom repeated over and over again. the trouble is, when she was telling me this sage advice, i was in my twenties, and the possibility of having trouble with sleep was unfathomable.
trouble drifting off? waking at 3 a.m.? running through my day feeling wired-yet-oh-so-tired? in my younger days, i can’t recall this ever happening.
fast forward a few years and these scenarios have become all too common — for me, and many other women who nod knowingly whenever i say the words, “sleep deprivation.â€
sleep is a popular topic of conversation in the menopause chicks private community at the best of times. without a worldwide health crisis, midlife women talk about how their quality of sleep is often compromised. now, as we navigate covid-19, this same issue has been exasperated by worry, new roles and responsibilities for work and home, and of course, financial stress.
during my own perimenopause-to-menopause journey, when i used to complain about the quality of my sleep, i never associated the challenge with what i was eating. then i met roxanne brooks — a registered holistic nutritionist with foodforsleep.ca — who helped me make the connection.
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menopause chicks: how does food affect our sleep?
roxanne brooks: food and sleep are fundamental building blocks to health. for sleep, digestion and hormone production, i want all women to ensure they are getting adequate protein, complex carbohydrates and fat, as well as optimal vitamins and minerals.
protein breaks down into amino acids, which are essential to hormone production. fats are needed for regulating our sex hormones. and complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains and fruits) signal a release of serotonin, also known as the “feel good†hormone and it’s a precursor to our main sleep hormones.
complex carbohydrates also contain fibre, which allows them to break down slowly, ensuring that we don’t suffer blood sugar spikes and crashes. one thing i would tell anyone struggling with sleep is that it is a layering effect. just like there is no single best way to gain or lose weight, good sleep doesn’t come from just one thing either.
quality sleep comes from a combination of nutrients, the amount and timing of exercise, strategic timing of caffeine and alcohol intake, managing stress, a consistent work schedule, the environment you’re sleeping in, and the list goes on. try to consider all the layers and find strategies and routines to support your lifestyle and your sleep goals.
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what foods do you recommend we put at the top of our list for quality sleep?
to support your sleep, i would suggest including the following as some examples of foods that should be a part of well-balanced diet. tart cherries for melatonin, kiwis for serotonin, almonds and pumpkin seeds for magnesium, broccoli for calcium and chickpeas for tryptophan.
it’s equally important to practice stress management techniques. to support your food choices, also consider a mindfulness practice, counseling and of course, exercise. lowering our stress hormones allows us to fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night.
is there a list of foods we should avoid?
yes, it’s not surprising that things like alcohol, caffeine, greasy food, junk food, any processed food void of nutrients would top of my list of things to avoid in order to support good, quality sleep.
shirley weir is the founder of menopause chicks, an online facebook community that advocates for women in perimenopause, menopause & beyond! she is also the author of mokita: how to navigate perimenopause with confidence & ease. @menopausechicks
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