Mattress, Stress, Food and Tryptophan - How They Relate to Sleep
I have spent quite a bit of time discussing the retail mattress world.
Several posts have featured stress and how it negatively affects sleep.
The sequence of mattress, stress, and food in the title reflects the specific order of importance in your quest for a "good night's rest.
" Of the three, your mattress is the most important factor to a quality sleep.
A bad mattress will cause backache, tossing and turning, loss of REM sleep, stress, insomnia, depression, and many other negative consequences that could ultimately lead to death.
Stress ranks second in its relevance to sleep.
If you cannot relax, you cannot sleep.
The factor we have not yet discussed is food.
What we eat has a tremendous affect on how well we sleep.
Tryptophan is the main ingredient often missing from our diet.
The shortage of tryptophan in the diet leads directly to stress, psychological disorders, and sleep problems.
Tryptophan is the raw material for the manufacture of serotonin.
Serotonin affects melatonin production in the pineal gland and, ultimately, helps regulate our sleep and wake cycles.
James South, in his article for the Offshore Pharmacy, calls tryptophan "nature's answer to Prozac.
" Studies have proven that serotonin assists the nerve circuitry to "promote feelings of well being, calm, personal security, relaxation, confidence, and concentration.
" Serotonin negates the negative effects of dopamine and noradrenaline which "encourage over-arousal, fear, anger, tension, aggression, violence, obsessive-compulsive actions, over-eating (especially carbohydrates), anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
" Tryptophan is the least plentiful of the eight essential amino acids in the human diet.
As one of the eight essentials it must be obtained either from food or from supplements.
It is the amino acid directly responsible for the manufacture of serotonin.
Elizabeth Walling, in her blog, "The Nourished Life," discusses tryptophan supplements for treating depression.
She discusses all of the effects of the tryptophan-serotonin relationship and how tryptophan is a natural alternative to the traditional anti-depressant drugs.
She also talks about the world-wide scare regarding tryptophan supplements in 1989.
Tryptophan was actually banned for a while because of impurities linked to a contaminant in the tryptophan supplement manufactured by Showa Denko K.
K.
, of Tokyo between 1988 and 1989.
The UK reversed its ban against tryptophan supplements in November 2005 as long as dosage was limited to 220mg.
The U.
S.
allowed tryptophan back into our marketplace in 2001, and it is available on almost all supplement shelves.
If you prefer to avoid the supplements and want to increase your intake of tryptophan in your diet, here are the foods to look for:
com is apple pie and ice cream, and he recommends diets that are high in carbohydrates and calcium but low to medium in protein.
In summary, if you're having trouble sleeping, take a good look at your mattress first.
Consider whether or not it is supporting you properly.
If not, it's time to shop for a new one.
Focus next on your stress levels.
Work on slow breathing techniques, conversation, exercise, or just going for a walk.
Finally, watch the foods you are eating.
Pay particular attention to the foods you eat for dinner.
Make it a lighter meal.
Keep the fat content down.
Cut down on the seasonings.
Dinner should be high in carbs and low to medium in protein, with the focus on tryptophan containing foods.
Bedtime snacks should eaten an hour before bed.
Okay, where's the apple pie and ice cream?
Several posts have featured stress and how it negatively affects sleep.
The sequence of mattress, stress, and food in the title reflects the specific order of importance in your quest for a "good night's rest.
" Of the three, your mattress is the most important factor to a quality sleep.
A bad mattress will cause backache, tossing and turning, loss of REM sleep, stress, insomnia, depression, and many other negative consequences that could ultimately lead to death.
Stress ranks second in its relevance to sleep.
If you cannot relax, you cannot sleep.
The factor we have not yet discussed is food.
What we eat has a tremendous affect on how well we sleep.
Tryptophan is the main ingredient often missing from our diet.
The shortage of tryptophan in the diet leads directly to stress, psychological disorders, and sleep problems.
Tryptophan is the raw material for the manufacture of serotonin.
Serotonin affects melatonin production in the pineal gland and, ultimately, helps regulate our sleep and wake cycles.
James South, in his article for the Offshore Pharmacy, calls tryptophan "nature's answer to Prozac.
" Studies have proven that serotonin assists the nerve circuitry to "promote feelings of well being, calm, personal security, relaxation, confidence, and concentration.
" Serotonin negates the negative effects of dopamine and noradrenaline which "encourage over-arousal, fear, anger, tension, aggression, violence, obsessive-compulsive actions, over-eating (especially carbohydrates), anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
" Tryptophan is the least plentiful of the eight essential amino acids in the human diet.
As one of the eight essentials it must be obtained either from food or from supplements.
It is the amino acid directly responsible for the manufacture of serotonin.
Elizabeth Walling, in her blog, "The Nourished Life," discusses tryptophan supplements for treating depression.
She discusses all of the effects of the tryptophan-serotonin relationship and how tryptophan is a natural alternative to the traditional anti-depressant drugs.
She also talks about the world-wide scare regarding tryptophan supplements in 1989.
Tryptophan was actually banned for a while because of impurities linked to a contaminant in the tryptophan supplement manufactured by Showa Denko K.
K.
, of Tokyo between 1988 and 1989.
The UK reversed its ban against tryptophan supplements in November 2005 as long as dosage was limited to 220mg.
The U.
S.
allowed tryptophan back into our marketplace in 2001, and it is available on almost all supplement shelves.
If you prefer to avoid the supplements and want to increase your intake of tryptophan in your diet, here are the foods to look for:
- Poultry
- Dairy products
- Beans
- Rice
- Sesame seeds
- Shellfish
- Soy products
- Hazelnuts and peanuts
- Hummus
- Lentils
- Eggs
- Bananas
com is apple pie and ice cream, and he recommends diets that are high in carbohydrates and calcium but low to medium in protein.
In summary, if you're having trouble sleeping, take a good look at your mattress first.
Consider whether or not it is supporting you properly.
If not, it's time to shop for a new one.
Focus next on your stress levels.
Work on slow breathing techniques, conversation, exercise, or just going for a walk.
Finally, watch the foods you are eating.
Pay particular attention to the foods you eat for dinner.
Make it a lighter meal.
Keep the fat content down.
Cut down on the seasonings.
Dinner should be high in carbs and low to medium in protein, with the focus on tryptophan containing foods.
Bedtime snacks should eaten an hour before bed.
Okay, where's the apple pie and ice cream?
