This about wraps up the series on sleep, though I did want to answer a final question. A reader asks, “Should I eat any carbs or protein at night? Can I eat before bedtime at all?”
This is a kind of a complicated question. If you eat a lot of food, it increases insulin, which can block growth hormone surges. This increases body metabolism, which can make it hard to sleep. Too much protein too close to bedtime can also raise heat production.On the other hand, if your diet is mostly low in carbs and high in protein, a bit of starchy carbs or even a piece of fruit at night can be extremely helpful for pushing tryptophan consumed during the day across the blood-brain barrier, inducing a good state for sleep by making some nice serotonin. Allowing a few hours between your last meal and bedtime is a good rule of thumb… but again, your mileage may vary. But it’s something to experiment with!
This wraps up our blog series on sleep! If you are interested in exploring this further, I am offering an e-course where we’ll make sleepytime tea! Various herbs will be mailed to you, labeled only by number. Then, we’ll experience the herbs together–smelling and tasting them, and then figuring out who they are during a teleseminar on Sunday, March 14th at 2:00pm CST. (The recording will be made available if the date or time doesn’t work.) You’ll also get information on the plants sent directly to your inbox. Check out the e-course page for details.
I wish you sweet dreams and many long nights of restful, replenishing sleep.
