Every night the body secretes growth hormones for healing during deep REM sleep. And eating too late can disturb deep REM sleep. When we eat at night, our food does not have enough time to digest. The undigested food, not yet eliminated, begins to decompose inside the digestive tract (called putrefaction) causing irritation to the digestive lining. This can also contribute to burden on the immune system leading to autoimmune conditions. This irritation and immune burden can make it more difficult to enter the deep REM sleep cycle. As a result, we wake up feeling stiff, fatigued, achy, or with sinus irritation, headaches, or drainage which are beginning signs of compromised digestion. If the habit is not changed it will lead to autoimmune issues.
Try the following 3 tips to help improve sleep and digestion.
- If we avoid eating 2-3 hours before going to bed our body will perform its best while we sleep and the next day. If dinner is finished by 7 pm and we go to bed between 9 and 10 pm we will have the best opportunity for restorative sleep.
- Having trouble changing the habit? Try replacing eating at night with warm herbal tea. Chamomile tea has been used for generations to help with relaxation and sleep.
- Have trouble staying asleep? Consider taking a supplement that helps your body produce melatonin. We do not recommend taking melatonin as this can create a neurotransmitter imbalance in the body which can lead to more trouble sleeping. Our body makes plenty of melatonin from L-tryptophan, an amino acid found in some foods like turkey. To help someone recover quality sleep quickly supplementing L-tryptophan can be effective. Prosper Nutrition’s supplement Sleep & Calm Essential has nature’s preferred form of L-tryptophan with the right co-factors and transporters. We have been using this supplement with clients for many years with success.
Most sleep supplements on the market contain melatonin which is not ideal for the body and can lead to other health challenges. If you or someone you know needs to restore digestive health or sleep, Sleep & Calm Essential can help.
Learn more about this supplement by clicking here -> Sleep & Calm Essential
To learn more tips and strategies to improve digestion and sleep register for our webinar, Holiday Digestion Protection. Click here to register.
It’s frustrating feeling like you’ve tried everything to reach your health goals but nothing is actually helping. With Prosper Nutrition you can have a simplified way to optimize your health.