Some Foods Can Cause Insomnia

For some people, the worst part of the day is nighttime. They sleep fitfully, wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. They struggle with a common American ailment: insomnia.

Stress, medical conditions, tobacco and exercise habits all affect our sleep patterns. So does what we eat, according to dietitian Elizabeth Sommer, author of “Food & Mood” (Henry Holt & Co., 1999). Some of the dietary guidelines she recommends for sleep management include:

Avoid all beverages, foods and medications containing caffeine.

Limit alcohol to two drinks or less each day, and don’t drink alcoholic beverages within two hours of bedtime.

Eat your biggest meal at breakfast or lunch and a light meal at dinner. Include some protein at the evening meal.

Avoid spicy foods at dinnertime.

Limit your consumption of gas-forming foods, such as beans and onions, after noon.

Avoid foods containing monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer often found in Chinese food and in many processed foods.

Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly.

Consume a carbohydrate-rich, low-protein snack one to two hours before bedtime. If that doesn’t help, try drinking a cup of warm milk at bedtime.

Check your dietary intake of B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, copper and iron. You may want to take a moderate-dose supplement that contains 100 percent of the daily value for these nutrients.

Here’s a crunchy salad for an early-evening meal before you get a good night’s sleep.

Crunchy Pea and Shrimp Salad

From “Food & Mood” by Elizabeth Somer (Henry Holt & Co., 1999). For variety, add water chestnuts.

1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby peas, thawed

1 cup diced celery

1 cup finely chopped cauliflower

1/4 cup diced green onion

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing seasoning

1 pound cooked salad shrimp

Combine peas, celery, cauliflower and onion in salad bowl. Mix sour cream and ranch dressing seasoning together and combine with vegetables. Stir in salad shrimp. If time permits, chill for 1 hour.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 213 calories, 1.6 grams fat (7 percent fat calories), 17 grams carbohydrate, 32 grams protein, 243 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber, 390 milligrams sodium.