Time to Wake Up to Foods That Enhance Sleep

Ooty:‘Having peace, happiness and healthiness is my definition of beauty. And you can’t have any of that without sleep’. This famous quote from Beyonce amply reflects that real beauty comes from being peaceful, happy and healthy and getting sufficient rest, which is the foundation for all of it.

This quote redefines beauty by shifting the focus of beauty from external make-up and other cosmetic touch-up towards inner wellness and a calm state of mind for which good sleep is necessary as sleep is not an optional luxury, it is considered a vital fuel which is required to keep one’s physique healthy and mind at peace which emphasise that true radiance of peace starts with taking care of one’s basic need for sleep.

While everyone would always love to have undisturbed sleep, healthy sleep, due to various reasons, lifestyle changes and related issues, getting good sleep is becoming a task to deal with in the present generation. The early to bed and early to rise phenomenon appears to be an old one though it is always relevant for a healthy lifestyle.

‘Sleep’ is a subject which is hogging the limelight in the recent era as insomnia - which is lack of sufficient sleep or sleep disorder phenomenon - has become a talking point in recent years.

Besides the cyber-era work style and digital addiction, the changing food style has also begun to impact sleep which needs corrective measures to stay on the right sleep track.

Dwelling on how food affects sleep patterns and how one’s dinner plate might be the reason for one not sleeping well, S. Pranav Ragavendra, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics, and Apsara Unni, research scholar, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at JSS College of Pharmacy here, the number one college in its field in south India and fourth top pharmacy institute in the country as per the NIRF ranking, said a person’s dinner plate may be influencing his / her sleep more than their smartphone.

While stress and screen time are widely blamed for restless nights, a growing field of research and evidence-based studies showed that the quality and timing of evening meals play a significant role in how quickly we fall asleep, how deeply we sleep, and how refreshed we feel the next morning.

The foods we eat influence the body’s production of serotonin and melatonin - natural bio-chemicals that regulate the sleep-wake cycle - making diet an important, yet often overlooked, pillar of healthy sleep, they pointed out.

Traditional Indian meals offer several naturally sleep-supportive choices. Curd rice, a staple in many south Indian households, provides tryptophan and calcium, nutrients associated with the body’s natural melatonin production.

‘Moong dal khichdi’ combines easily digestible protein with complex carbohydrates, making it a light and satisfying dinner, while ragi porridge contributes magnesium, a mineral involved in relaxing muscles and supporting the brain’s calming neurotransmitter pathways.

Even a simple bedtime pairing of warm milk and a banana supplies nutrients linked with serotonin production and evening relaxation.

Not all popular dinners are equally sleep-friendly. Heavy meals such as biryani, deep-fried chicken dishes, spicy snacks and sugar-rich desserts like gulab jamun can slow digestion, increase acidity, and contribute to frequent night-time awakenings. Likewise, coffee and strong tea consumed during the evening may continue stimulating the brain for several hours, reducing total sleep time.

Although alcohol may induce drowsiness initially, studies show it disrupts deep sleep, leaving sleep fragmented during the latter half of the night, they added.

“Experts also emphasise that when we eat matters as much as what we eat. Finishing dinner three to four hours before bedtime allows digestion to settle and helps synchronise the body’s internal circadian clock, supporting the natural release of melatonin. Rather than relying on sleep supplements, adopting lighter, balanced evening meals and maintaining consistent dinner timings may be one of the simplest and most effective lifestyle changes for achieving better sleep and overall well-being,” advocated Dr. Pranav Ragavendra and Apsara Unni.