Foods that Disrupt Sleep
Do you suffer from sleep apnea? Foods that disrupt sleep can exacerbate symptoms, especially if you are overindulging.
This is why it’s important to mind your food intake during the Super Bowl. During Super Bowl watch parties, it’s tempting to binge on fatty foods and excessive snacks. All of this can impact blood pressure and sleep. Trans fats and salty foods will impact sleep and sleep apnea in a negative way if you don’t monitor your intake.
Knowing what foods cause sleep apnea and which foods hinder your ability to sleep will help you enjoy your Super Bowl party and get plenty of quality sleep afterward.
We will share the “why” behind sleep apnea’s relationship with fatty foods so you can make the right choices on game day.
How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Diet?
The relationship between a poor diet and poor sleep quality can become a vicious cycle if not managed. Because sleep apnea disrupts sleep quality, it can lead to fatigue during the day. The fatigue may cause an increase in consumption of high sugar foods in order to help with staying awake. Additionally, studies show that when sleep is disrupted, hormones fail to be properly regulated. This includes the hormones that regulate appetite, meaning you may be extra hungry during the day and prone to overeating. Increased food intake can cause weight gain that can lead to worsened sleep apnea due to constricted airways.
How Does Your Diet Affect Sleep Apnea?
While poor sleep leads to increased hunger, consuming higher amounts of sugar or fat will further worsen sleep and sleep apnea. Studies show that an increase in food consumption causes the digestive process to do more work. Yet, the digestive process is meant to slow during sleep, meaning that overeating puts your body at odds with the natural digestive functions. Overeating can also cause discomfort such as acid reflux and heartburn which can keep people up at night. Specific foods that disrupt sleep due to acid reflux and heartburn include spicy foods, fatty foods, and chocolate. Large meals can increase body temperature as well which will counter the body’s natural process of cooling down during sleep.
What Foods Cause Sleep Apnea?
Of course, the Super Bowl is a holiday with lots of fatty, high sugar foods and the opportunity to overindulge. However, there are some foods that are worse than others. Fatty meats like bacon, burgers, and steak can cause inflammation and disrupt sleep quality. If you have sleep apnea, try to opt for lower fat meats like chicken on game day. High-fat dairy like cheese and ice cream are also bad for those with sleep apnea as they increase mucus production. Go with the salsa on your nachos instead of the cheese if you’re trying to increase sleep quality after a long day of watching the game.
If you do end up wanting to indulge in these foods, there are steps you can take to limit their effects on your sleep. Try drinking water, elevating your head, and giving time to digest before bedtime to get a good night’s sleep, even after eating foods that disrupt sleep.
While the snack options on game day are exciting, the risk of sleep apnea is not. Knowing which foods hinder your ability to sleep and the relationship between sleep apnea and diet will allow you to enjoy the game without the aftermath of little sleep.
