7. Salty snacks
Crisps, pretzels and salted nuts and popcorn all make great snacks, especially if we don’t have a sweet tooth. But they too can be detrimental to our sleep.
An interesting study found that eating a salty snack before bed delayed the time participants went to bed and then caused them to wake several times during the night. Deep sleep is important, it’s when our heart and breathing rates drop to their lowest as we deeply relax. But we also need restorative REM sleep when our brain activity becomes more alert and we begin to dream, in order to achieve a good quality sleep. This study found that salty foods can send us into such a deep sleep that we lose out on REM sleep, leaving us feeling groggy and unrested.
Continue Reading This Article
