Outsleep Your Slow Metabolism: The Overnight Trick for Better Metabolic Health
Sleep: The Surprising Superpower for a Healthy Metabolism
When it comes to keeping your metabolism firing on all cylinders, many of us focus on diet and exercise. But there's another crucial factor that is often overlooked - sleep. Getting sufficient high-quality sleep each night is absolutely vital for regulating your metabolism and maintaining a healthy weight. Poor sleep can completely derail your metabolic health and sabotage your efforts to eat right and exercise. This month, let’s look at why prioritising your zzz's needs to be just as important as your nutrition and fitness routine.
How Sleep Alters Your Metabolism
Not getting enough sleep can change your hunger hormones - ghrelin and leptin. We are also more vulnerable to insulin resistance, and we see a rise in stress hormones like cortisol. This perfect storm leads to increased appetite, overeating, slowed metabolism, and more fat storage - especially around the tummy. But what happens when we find good sleep an impossible goal?
Use Food To Improve Your Snooze
Rather than reach for the sleeping tablets, try changing some of the foods you eat to really change the quality and amount of sleep. Certain nutrients play important roles in your body's sleep-wake cycle and production of sleep-promoting hormones and neurotransmitters. For example, the amino acid tryptophan helps boost serotonin and melatonin, hormones that induce sleepiness and regulate your circadian rhythms. Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3s also contribute to better sleep by reducing inflammation, anxiety, and muscle cramps that can disrupt rest. On the other hand, large meals, spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol too close to bedtime can trigger indigestion, dehydration, and overstimulation and lead to blood sugar changes at night - all of which make it harder to fall and stay asleep.
Top Sleep-Promoting Foods
To optimise your sleep for a healthy metabolism, focus on incorporating these slumber-friendly foods into your diet:
Tryptophan-Rich Proteins: Turkey, chicken, eggs, nuts, seeds, dairy products
Melatonin Sources: Tart cherry juice, grapes, bananas, oats
Magnesium Providers: Leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocados
Calcium Boosters: Yogurt, milk, cheese, dark green leafy veggies,
Complex Carbs: Whole grains like oats, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat
Fibre Superstars: Fruits like kiwi, berries, veggies, beans, lentils
Making an effort to eat more of these wholesome, nutrient-dense foods can go a long way in enhancing sleep quality and duration. Just be sure to eat any larger meals or snacks at least 3 hours before bedtime to help with digestion, particularly if you’re prone to heartburn.
Personalised nutrition programs such as Metabolic Balance® provide you with the exact quantities and proportions to balance your metabolism throughout the day. While many of my clients come to me for weight or hormonal management, a common side effect of the program is better sleep.
The bottom line is that sleep, diet, and exercise create a powerful trifecta for optimal metabolic health. By prioritising high-quality sleep and choosing foods that promote better rest, you'll be giving your metabolism the boost it needs to run smoothly so you can enjoy the energy and focus to enjoy your life. Sweet dreams!