Brain Health & Sleep
Aaaah, sleep. For some, sleep comes as soon as their head touches the pillow whilst for others, despite the best will in the world, it remains tantalisingly elusive.
Sleep is crucial for Brain health and cognitive function. The greatest quantity of systemic and Brain-based detoxification occurs whilst we sleep since it occurs when our Glymphatic System; the ‘waste disposal funnel’ surrounding our Brain, disposes of excess, unnecessary debris and toxins whilst the rest of our body remains inert in sleep. (This is the mechanism behind why the first – or at the latest the second – thing that typically happens upon wakening is that you use the toilet; you’re excreting your body’s and Brain’s waste materials.) Other links between sleep and cognitive health include consolidating memories, ‘snipping’ unnecessary information, and optimising Neuroplasticity, (the Brain’s ability to adapt, evolve, learn and memories new information).
Sleep is often hormonally-driven. Melatonin ‘the Dracula Hormone’ surfaces when the Pineal Gland in the Brain cannot sense a light stimulus. (It is also a potent anti-inflammatory antioxidant and supports the breakdown of β-Amyloid plaque which is a bio-physical symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease.) This is why it is important to avoid stimulating light-emitting sources before going to sleep; it prevents the Pineal Gland from generating Melatonin. It is also important to try to relax before going to sleep since the fight-or-flight hormone Cortisol antagonises Melatonin; one cannot be wide awake from the influence of Cortisol simultaneous to synthesising and allowing Melatonin send you to sleep.
Sleep Apnoea is also a very important factor particularly relating to Alzheimer’s Dementia. Depriving the Brain of oxygen through insufficient overnight breathing may be contributing to and exacerbating a longer-term risk of developing cognitive decline.
So, how can Nutritional Therapy be used to support sleep? There are several simple dietary and lifestyle modifications that can be implemented into our daily routine and living environments to minimise and protect against sleep-deprived cognitive decline. The suggestions below are decent places to start, but there are many more and as with most things Nutritional Therapy is highly personalised so please seek professional bespoke recommendations from a Registered Nutritional Therapist to ensure you can pursue a dietary programme which is tailored and appropriate for you.
Avoid Caffeinated food & drink at least six hours before going to bed for two reasons; caffeine has a (minimum) half-life of six hours, and it binds to a receptor ‘lock’ for the hormone ‘key’ Adenosine. Adenosine is an inhibitory Neurotransmitter (Brain messenger) suppressing arousal, but if caffeine is taking up the receptor lock this prevents the Adenosine key from fitting into it, which may increase alertness and prevent sleepiness.
Try to not eat (and only drink water or herbal tea) three hours before you go to bed, and avoid overnight snacking, (unless you have a medical condition where fasting is inadvisable - always consult your Doctor before pursing a fasting routine). The overnight fast enables the body to concentrate on detoxifying and eliminating unwanted debris without being distracted by digestion, and blood sugar fluctuations caused by eating (carbohydrates) may inhibit the body’s ease of generating Melatonin.
Include a portion of protein food rich in the essential amino acid tryptophan in your final meal before bed. Tryptophan can be found in almonds (if not allergic), banana (try to eat a ‘greener’ banana), eggs, milk, oats, seeds, poultry (turkey) and tofu.
Keep a consistent bedtime routine; the body’s circadian rhythm likes consistency.
As I hope this post has highlighted, don’t forget Eat, Drink, Think Nutrition and spare a thought (no pun intended) for your Brain health. Losing your Brain power can be even more devastating to you, and those around you, than losing an aspect of your physical health, so why wouldn’t you start to look after your Brain right away since diet and lifestyle modifications actioned NOW could save a lot of distress and heartbreak in the future.
REMEMBER: if you are taking any medications always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist as well as your Doctor before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes. This blog post is written for educational purposes only and in reference to ‘food’. It is NOT advocating taking dietary supplements. It is very important to please always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist or your Doctor before introducing any dietary supplements into your health regime as these qualified professionals will be able to offer personalised recommendations.
If sleep, Brain, cognitive and/or memory are issues which you are struggling with and you want to discover the inspiring & sustainable diet & lifestyle programmes offered by Nutritional Therapy, get in touch via the Contact Me page on this website, or directly on info@eatdrinkthinknutrition.co.uk for more information about 1:2:1 Consultations with Eat Drink Think Nutrition®.
