Actually, too much carbohydrate intake before sleeping is not good for your sleep. Did you know? In fact, it’s not the only thing that can be affected. This kind of consumption at night also affects your physical and mental health , increasing the risk of anxiety disorders, diabetes and obesity.
For this, the reason is that our body has specific times to perform its functions that need to be respected. That is, a time to sleep, a time to be active, a time to eat, etc. You can even try to follow your own schedule, but your body feels the consequences.
Well, do you want to know more regarding the relationship between sleep and excess carbohydrate consumption? Get reading and stay updated with the subject!
Effects of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are essential for the body. After all, they provide energy, support the immune system, maintain the health of the intestinal flora, and preserve lean mass. Additionally, some of the principal sources of carbohydrates also act as antioxidants and protect the body against chronic diseases.
Therefore, through very low carb intake, the body will lose fat and muscle mass. Also consider that some carbohydrate sources give vitamins, minerals and fiber. In other words, a lack of them can harm the individual’s health and cause malnutrition, fatigue, irritability and hypoglycemia.
However, as too much of anything can become poisonous, excess carbohydrates in the body also have consequences. There is no specific amount to define whether there was an excess of carbohydrates, as this varies depending on weight, height, body fat and goals. Still, in general, doctors and nutritionists point out the daily carbohydrate recommendation between 50 and 60% of the caloric value.
How does excess carbohydrate affect sleep routine?
As you read, you’ve noticed that the body has specific times for its functioning. One of these is bedtime, which usually starts at night. The body has a few ways of acting during this time, and one of them is to slow down digestion.
Therefore, consuming large amounts of food and heavy foods at night forces the intestines to work beyond their capacity. As a result , the individual may experience problems such as gas, colic, heartburn, burning, etc. Thus, the quality of sleep may also be affected.
Refined carbohydrates
The harmful effects mentioned are more intense for some carbohydrates than for others. For example, refined carbohydrates, especially those rich in sugar, are more likely to cause insomnia . The main sources of refined carbohydrates are pasta, cereals, sugar, sweets in general, white rice, watermelon, soda, etc.
This would be due to the reason that high sugar levels in blood would need more of insulin to work hard and decrease those levels. This may then allow for the increase in production of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are known to keep the body alert, hence one finds it hard to even relax while it is time to sleep.
Therefore, the intake of carbohydrates always goes hand in hand with other nutrients like proteins and fibers . This can curb the impact of the carbohydrate on the glucose level and will minimize its effects on sleep .
Complex carbohydrates
Unlike refined carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates have a higher glycemic index and they also contain a lot of nutrients, including vitamins, fiber and minerals . These characteristics improve digestion and maximize the absorption of glucose.
Therefore, sleep tends not to be affected by the controlled consumption of complex carbohydrates. After all, as you have noticed, the difficulty in absorbing glucose and digestion is what can interfere with sleep. Therefore, you should know that complex carbohydrates are whole foods, sweet potatoes, carrots, cassava, etc.
And besides sleep, the consumption of complex carbohydrates has other advantages. Among them, the possibility that the body uses the food as an energy source for an extended period of time without a necessity for its conversion to fat. This is also useful in reducing the danger associated with heart disease and diabetes, which are related to an insulin imbalance in the body.
What foods to have before going to bed?
As we have just learned, some foods consumed before sleep can be detrimental to your sleep and even your physical and mental health. So, focus on light food at dinner, and even better: a dinner that will trigger serotonin production.
This hormone is associated with feelings of pleasure and well-being. Some sources of serotonin include fruits, cinnamon, vegetables, tubers, soybeans and derivatives, etc. Pay special attention to foods that are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which is a very potent stimulant of serotonin. In this way, you will feel more relaxed and prone to sleep.
However, the time of day is just as important as the food consumed . Eating dinner very late and going to bed with a full stomach can disrupt sleep. The explanation is that the body has more difficulty digesting food at night.
Likewise, it is recommended to regulate sleep so that poor quality sleep does not interfere with nutrition. After all, this tends to unbalance feelings of satiety and hunger and contribute to people increasing their food intake due to sleep deprivation.
What foods to avoid before bed?
You must have observed that selecting the wrong food before bed will have various consequences. Hence, do not eat meat, coffee and processed foods, as well as calorie and carbohydrate-rich foods. In any event, if you do, then it is better that you eat at least 2 hours before bed time to minimize the effects.
For your better understanding, disregarding this recommendation can pose more risks than a diet high in salt. This is because this practice increases the production of stress hormones and disrupts bowel function.
Did you understand more about the risks of eating too many carbohydrates before bed? This habit can compromise the quality of your sleep and, as a result, bring other consequences, such as lack of productivity, bad mood , irritability, fatigue, etc. To make matters worse, in the medium and long term, the risks of numerous chronic diseases increase.