Here is one more classification of the human species: those who sink into deep slumber within minutes of hitting the bed; those who toss and turn and wake up under-slept and antsy; and the gifted third who enjoy the option of rotating sleep hours. Insomniacs seek medical help, and optioniacs brag: “I sleep my six hours, but it could be at any part of the day.”
There is a growing fourth category. For them, sleep deprivation is temporary, often a result of major life changes. “Since the baby was born, getting a good night's sleep has been a challenge,” says Mina Mahesh, a busy architect. “Falling asleep is harder because I'm thinking of work, the baby's check-ups, the household chores, packing for daycare... I'm worrying or too tired to sleep.” People temporarily short-changed on sleep could include convalescents, elders, students with board-exam blues, the over-worked and the stressed. Since research establishes a nexus between sleep loss and weight gain, shouldn't we be looking into our pre-bedtime eating habits?
Quick remedies
Nutritionists generally endorse the glass-of-warm-milk-for-better-sleep folk remedy. Remember the gorgeous Gina Lollobrigada's “I went for some milk” excuse in “Come September”? “Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that produces serotonin, a brain chemical essential for sleep,” explains Shobha Kumar,
Retired Prof. (Nutrition), Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. “Include egg, meat, beans, fish and cheese in dinner. They have high tryptophan content.” Okay, make that non-fat, skimmed milk with droplets of honey. Compensates for lack of nutrition in the day's meals. “Some prefer hot chocolate, it's association with comfort food is good,” says Nirmala Jesudasan, Nutritionist, Frontier Lifeline Hospitals.
What (and when) you eat has a bearing on how you sleep. “You mean comfortable sleep, not collapsing in bed after a multiple-helpings meal,” exclaims Nirmala. “Food steps up metabolic rate and body temperature, resulting in troubled sleep.” Doctors connect snoring and sleep apnea to heavy night meals. “Eat 2-3 hours ahead of bedtime,” advises Shoba, “Reduce intake of saturated fat, sodium, sugar and caffeine at night. Moderation in food intake is a great natural cure.”
“Thanks to how we live, dinner is often the only proper meal,” points out Hira Mahajan, consulting dietician and nutritionist, Mumbai. “We should have a sumptuous breakfast, a moderate lunch and a light dinner. Old people don't digest well since their metabolic rate is slower. Youngsters need to keep calories down when gorging on junk food.”
Avoid fruit after dinner, says Hira Mahajan. “They're high on sugar. The unburnt calories have a tendency to add to weight when you're sleeping them off. Bite into fruit before dinner so your dinner portions can be lean. The best time to eat fruit is between meals.”
Midnight snacks
Light dinner is fine, but what if hunger is your sleep robber? Recommendations include “low-sugar cereals, low-calorie snacks, milk, biscuits and a cup of tea”. Chandran (72) stores Marie biscuits for a midnight snack. “A bowl of germinated mung (green gram) is fine too,” he grins. But isn't an adequate night meal security against midnight kitchen raids?
As in any health programme, a lot of this is individual. A study found that when normal sleepers ate carb-rich dinners of vegetables and rice (especially the high-GI basmati rice), they fell asleep faster. High-GI meals tend to trigger more insulin, which increases the ratio of tryptophan to other amino acids in the blood. That's your ticket to drowsiness. For some, herbal tea is the panacea. Chamomile, lemon balm, hops, passionflower are all promoted for their sleep-inducing properties, though no one is clear how this works on the brain. Is it just the warm liquid? A sleep-time habit? Decide for yourself.
Coffee is a different cup. Since caffeine excretion gets low with age, cut down on coffee and soft drinks close to bedtime. Alcohol? Is that the kind of stupor you want?
That brings us to sleep supplements and alternative therapies. Should we try them? Already, millions do. Some get prescriptions, others self-medicate. There is no final argument why supplements/alternative therapies are effective, but if they help you get sleep with no side effects, why not?
“We need six-seven hours of uninterrupted sleep,” says Nirmala. “I go with less when I feel rested and add extra hours when I'm bushed. Depends on how much rest you need.” Good sleep is a habit. Nurture it with healthful eating.
Quick tips
Keep calm. Make sure you cut yourself off from the day's work.
Go in for meditation, chanting, a light stroll, music or reading. Or a combination of these.
Do something restful.
Arguments leave you frustrated. So does involvement in TV programmes/movies.
Prepare a routine. Put out the next morning's clothes, remove jewellery, change into night clothes. Going through it prepares you for rest.
What you can do
Milk, egg, meat, beans, fish and cheese contain tryptophan, an amino acid that produces serotonin, a brain chemical essential for sleep.
Eat 2-3 hours ahead of bedtime.
Reduce intake of saturated fat, sodium, sugar and caffeine at night.
Avoid fruit after dinner.
Herbal tea - Chamomile, lemon balm, hops, passionflower - are all promoted for their sleep-inducing properties.
Want midnight snacks? Opt for low-sugar cereals, low-calorie snacks, milk, biscuits.
