Diet And Insomnia

Diet and insomnia are much more connected than you (and most doctors) probably understand. And, I don't mean just that eating before bed causes you not to sleep...

...but, rather, that eating wrong often leads to chronic insomnia. Oriental medicine has thousands of years of observing dietary habits and how they lead to specific conditions. And, it discovered many things not yet recognized or acknowledged by conventional medicine.

I'm not going to go into all the details behind how wrong diet leads to insomnia, but let's just say that your brain is an internal organ, and what you eat (as well as how you think) affects all your organs... including your brain.

Anyway, here's what Oriental doctors discovered...

In particular, these dietary habits are especially capable of leading to insomnia...

• Irregular eating
• Over-eating
• Eating late at night
• Excess greasy food
• Excess hot food

So, how do I stop insomnia?

First, look at the other information on the natural cures for insomnia page. Remember that emotional stress and worry is also a major factor in causing insomnia, and address that if necessary. Then, concerning diet and insomnia,...

...it's best to follow the Chinese Dietary Principles (these are from thousands of years of experience in China)

Here's a quick summary -

Eat a diet composed primarily of:

• A large variety of cooked vegetables (fresh and lightly cooked)
• Whole grains (brown rice, buckwheat and millet are all good)
• Animal protein (small amounts, more like a condiment than a main course)
• Water (room temperature - non-caffeine herbal teas are o.k. for most of us, too.)

Limit most everything else to only small amounts until you are sleeping well (especially dairy, sweets, cold foods, fruit juices and oily-greasy foods.)

Concerning fruit... even though some doctors feel large amounts of fruit are good for just about everybody, the Chinese discovered differently. Despite it's high fiber and nutrient content...

... it's very sweet, and that can easily affect your internal health in a negative way, possibly leading to insomnia. I recommend focusing on lightly cooked vegetables more than fruit while you're trying to recover. (Apples are probably a better choice than most fruits, and are even better if eaten cooked.)

Also, follow these "how-to's" about eating...

• Eat on a regular schedule
• Only eat until you feel about 70% full (in other words, don't over-eat)
• Avoid greasy food
• Avoid too much hot, spicy food
• Don't eat near bedtime
• Don't argue, discuss business or get emotional while eating

Diet and insomnia can be very closely related, so if you aren't already eating the way I describe above, there's a good chance your insomnia will be eliminated or greatly reduced once you do.

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