In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleHow Carbs May Improve Your SleepThe Best Carb for Better SleepThe Bottom Line
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
How Carbs May Improve Your Sleep
The Best Carb for Better Sleep
The Bottom Line
Tossing and turning in bed and wishing for a restful night of sleep? You’re not alone. According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, around 1 in 3 American adults aren’t clocking the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Reaching for more caffeine is not the only consequence of not catching enough zzz’s at night. Chronic sleep deprivation can also increase your risk of conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Traditional sleep advice focuses on building better habits, such as keeping a consistent sleep schedule, reducing caffeine intake and shutting off screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime. However, paying attention to what is on your plate may also help improve your sleep.
Carbs are an important part of a balanced diet, even though there is a lot of misinformation about the benefits of carbs, thanks to diet culture. There’s often a lot of discussion about“good” versus “bad” carbs, but most experts agree that all carbs can fit in a healthy diet. When it comes to carbs and sleep, the advice is familiar—choose complex carbs more often and refined ones less often. Read on to find out the best “bad” carb for better sleep.
Related:The #1 Habit You Should Break for Better Sleep, According to a Dietitian
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The relationship between diet and sleep is complex, but following a healthy diet pattern rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is linked to better sleep, per a 2021 review fromSleep Medicine Review. “Carbs can either be a helpful sleep food or can negatively impact sleep quality, depending on whether it’s a complex or simple carbohydrate, and what we are pairing with it,” saysKarman Meyer, RD, LD, a registered dietitian and author ofEat to Sleep: What to Eat & When to Eat It for a Good Night’s Sleep.
For example, a 2020 study from theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutritionfound that women in menopause who consumed more added sugars and refined carbohydrates were 11% more likely to have insomnia. “There are sleep-beneficial nutrients found in carbohydrate foods, such as vitamin B6 and fiber, and it’s often the case that complex carbs will contain more of these nutrients compared to their refined counterpart (e.g., wheat bread versus white bread),” says Meyer.
Many foodsmay help improve your sleep, such as milk, fatty fish and tart cherry juice. When it comes to carbohydrate foods, our top pick for sleep is rice. Rice has an unearned reputation for being a “bad” carb even though it has a lot to offer nutrition-wise. Here’s why experts pick rice as the best “bad” carb for sleep.
It Contains Melatonin
Anyone who has struggled with insomnia may already be familiar with melatonin, asleep hormone that helps regulate the body’s internal clock. Our body naturally produces melatonin in the brain’s pineal gland, but you can also boost your melatonin levels with food choices.
Additionally, rice contains some levels of melatonin as well. In fact, the combination of carbohydrates and melatonin in rice seems to make it particularly beneficial for sleep. A 2020 study inNutrientsthat included 60 Japanese adults found that those who consumed rice with all three meals for two months reported better sleep quality.
It Delivers Magnesium
A 2022 study with almost 4,000 participants, published inSleep, found that those with higher magnesium intakes had better-quality sleep. While white rice contains some magnesium, swapping it for brown rice will optimize your magnesium intake. Consuming 1 cup of cooked long-grain brown rice provides 21% of the Daily Value for magnesium, per theUSDA.
Related:Should You Take Magnesium to Sleep Better? Here’s What Doctors Say
It Has GABA
Magnesium supports better-quality sleep in more ways than one. “Magnesium is involved in the regulation of neurotransmitters in the brain, including GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on the brain,” says McIntyre. “Sufficient magnesium can help enhance GABA’s function, potentially promoting better sleep.”
Oral GABA supplements have increased in popularity, but more evidence is needed to establish the effectiveness of supplements or GABA-containing foods, per a 2020 review inFrontiers in Neuroscience. Yet, nearly 50% of US adults do not get enough magnesium in their diet, per theDepartment of Agriculture. So, increasing your intake of magnesium-rich foods like brown rice to indirectly support GABA production (as well as melatonin) may be a better approach.
It’s Budget-Friendly and Versatile
Related:7 Bedtime Snacks to Support Your Metabolism
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