Have you ever woken up feeling so exhausted like you didn’t sleep a wink?
And you do a quick mental check
- Slept long enough
- Not feeling particularly emotional
- Slept early-ish
- And yet you feel like you could use another day of sleep?
Well if you are eating a late dinner or having late-night snacks, that could be the cause. It all has to do with blood sugar levels.
The usual understanding of eating food is that it boosts your energy and while this is correct, it is also very accurate that the time you eat plays a huge role in energy levels and quality of sleep. Let’s break it down.
Melatonin, the sleep hormone increases when it is night time, in its process to get you to sleep it reduces or stops the production of insulin, the blood glucose (sugar) stabilizing hormone which means any glucose in the bloodstream is not converted to energy for immediate use instead it just swims around and can be converted to fat as energy storage.
The problem with eating a late dinner or snack is your blood glucose levels after that food cannot be brought down because melatonin would have blocked the production of insulin in the pancreas. This means in the morning; you wake up with a high blood sugar level.
The downsides of high blood sugar levels are;
- In the morning, your kidneys have to work overtime to try and remove the excess glucose from the blood, which in its self depletes your energy reserves.
- You will likely be trotting to the bathroom quite a bit too, and that will cause dehydration. When you are dehydrated, your brain goes into self-preservation mode and tries to keep as much water and energy for itself, resulting in you feeling foggy and sleepy.
If you are experiencing morning tiredness, you could be just one habit away from having an energetic morning.
So when is the right time to eat meals and snacks you may ask?
- Eat and finish dinner before 8 pm.
- Drink fluids like water and herbal teas at least 2 hours before bedtime. Observing this will also help keep you asleep throughout the night because you don’t have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
- Eat breakfast before 9 am. This is the best time for your body to digest the food and give you enough energy to take you to your next meal without compromising your energy levels.
Do you have more questions about your sleep and health? Follow our page, drop us a message or contact Rumbiey, we would be happy to chat with you.
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