CHAPTER
12

Eating and Sleeping

In This Chapter

• Finding out how food affects your mood
• Discovering and eliminating anxiety-provoking foods
• Learning which foods promote calm
• Investigating the relationship between anxiety and insomnia
• Strategies for better sleep

In the preceding chapter, we discussed how exercise can boost your mood, improve your health, and help you relax. However, you can do even better if you take care of your body in other ways. For example, it will be harder to remain peaceful after a yoga session if you haven’t slept properly and you drink a double shot of espresso on the way home.

Nutrition has often been a focus for those looking for better physical and mental health. Recently, the role sleep plays in the quality of your waking state is gaining attention, perhaps because many of us get too little of it.

In this chapter, we examine the roles nutrition and sleep play in your mental well-being and how what you eat and how much you sleep can influence your level of anxiety or calmness.

Foods and Anxiety

We’ve all heard it: you are what you eat. Every day, you take in fuel to keep your body functioning and rebuild worn-out cells and tissue. An increasing body of evidence tells us that the quality of your nutrition can impact your emotions. Also, think about how irritable you can get when you’re hungry; it’s easy to see the link between mood and food. The stress you feel when you need food is your body’s way of telling you that your nutritional needs are not being met.

ON THE CUTTING EDGE

Some recent research suggests that mood can be affected by nutrition. For example, a 2011 study found that healthy adults given omega-3 supplements for three months showed a 20 percent decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to those given placebo pills.

But the key isn’t just eating enough food; it’s eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones. Let’s take a look at two different lists of foods—one anxiety-provoking, the other anxiety-reducing. See which most closely resembles your daily intake.

Foods and Substances That Can Make Anxiety Worse

Here are some things you take into your body that increase anxiety:

• Caffeine
• Nicotine
• Stimulant drugs
• Sugar
• Alcohol

High amounts of caffeine can trigger feelings of anxiety and nervousness in most of us. It can also extend the time necessary to pass through the early stages of slumber into deep sleep. Not surprisingly, individuals with agoraphobia and panic disorder reported significantly more anxiety, nervousness, fear, nausea, heart palpitations, and restlessness, depending on caffeine intake, sometimes after as little as one cup of coffee.

Smokers often reach for a cigarette when under stress and say that nicotine helps them calm down. In reality, though, nicotine can be both calming and stimulating. Recent research suggests that cigarette smoking may increase the risk of anxiety disorders during late adolescence and early adulthood; in other words, smoking seemed to come before anxiety, not the other way around.

Some over-the-counter and prescription drugs contain caffeine and/or amphetamines, which can induce anxiety. Recreational drugs such as cannabis and cocaine can also raise anxiety levels.

Consuming large amounts of sugar and sweets can put your body on a roller coaster between feeling weak and feeling high-strung and jittery—your body’s response to changes in blood sugar.

Alcohol is tricky when it comes to anxiety. In the short run, it reduces anxiety, which is one reason why anxious people are at risk for alcohol problems. In the long run, though, alcohol use can stress the nervous system, worsen anxiety symptoms, and significantly disrupt sleep cycles.

ANXIETY ATTACK

A magnesium deficiency can cause anxious feelings, so make sure you’re eating enough magnesium-rich foods, such as nuts, cereals, and certain fish such as halibut. Talk with your health-care provider if you think you might not be getting enough magnesium.

Foods That May Improve Mood

Now that you’ve seen what can increase your anxiety, take a look at vitamins that seem to buffer physical and mental stress, how they do it, and what foods have them.

So a mood-improving grocery-shopping excursion could have you buying healthful foods such as lean meat, fish, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. These foods are also good for general health.

ON THE CUTTING EDGE

Preliminary studies suggest that low blood sugar can increase anxiety symptoms. When you’re in a hypoglycemic state, the tissues in your body, including your brain, aren’t getting enough energy to work properly. Building your diet around lean protein, “good” fats, and slow-burning carbs like whole grains can help you maintain a steady supply of energy without the extreme highs and lows that can cause problems.

Thinking About How You Eat

Taking the time to focus on your food (whenever possible) can not only ease your digestion; it’s also a chance to improve your general health. Some suggestions:

• Don’t do anything else (such as read, watch TV, drive, or even stand up) while you eat.
• Chew at least 15 times per mouthful.
• Take periodic breaks to give your stomach time to tell you whether it’s full, satisfied, or still hungry.
• Eat regularly (at least every five hours) to keep your blood sugar at a reasonably normal level.

Supplements and Herbal Remedies

Much has been written about the pros and cons of taking herbal and other dietary supplements—so much, in fact, that it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. On the one hand, many experts say that the best way to make sure your body gets the right nutrients is through a balanced, healthful diet. Many physicians note that vitamin supplements aren’t necessary for those who eat such diets. On the other hand, if a food source isn’t particularly appealing, supplements can be a good way to ensure that you get vital nutrients.

Some people adopt a “belt and suspenders” approach to vitamins and nutrients, either taking more than the recommended amount or taking vitamins when they are getting everything they need through their meals. If vitamins and nutrients are good for you, you might think that more is better.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Vitamin toxicity is becoming increasingly common in developed countries because of the popularity of vitamin supplements. Taking too much of some vitamins can have a toxic effect. In fact, megadoses of vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin B₆ can be fatal. For that reason, it is important to discuss with your physician whether or not to take a supplement.

Herbal Supplements

Many herbal supplements—such as passion flower, skullcap, kava kava, chamomile, mugwort, and valerian—are available for anxiety and stress. Each has its loyal supporters, but the jury is still out for many of these proposed remedies.

Just because herbs are promoted as “all-natural” alternatives doesn’t mean they aren’t potent; many of them are as powerful as prescription drugs.

What’s more, herbal medications do not have to meet the same federal regulations as other drugs do—meaning the potency, purity, and safety can vary from brand to brand. The bottom line: do your homework, check carefully for interactions with other medications, and always ask your doctor.

Trouble Sleeping

What do Madonna, Abraham Lincoln, and George Clooney have in common? They’ve all suffered from insomnia.

Sleep problems are amazingly common. At any given time, one out of every eight Americans is struggling with insomnia, and in one survey, 60 percent of respondents said they had some trouble getting to sleep the previous week. Life events such as moving, the birth of a child, or the loss of a loved one can be particularly difficult times.

ANXIETY ATTACK

Our bodies use tryptophan to make serotonin and melatonin, two brain chemicals that aid sleep. Tryptophan is plentiful in oats, bananas, dried dates, milk, cottage cheese, meat, fish, turkey, chicken, and peanuts. These foods, eaten a couple of hours before bedtime, may help you feel sleepy.

Anxiety and fear can impair your sleep cycle. Research has consistently shown that worries tend to delay the onset of sleep. Even worse, the fatigue from lack of sleep—or the worry about another sleepless night—can increase your anxiety during waking hours and make it more difficult to fall asleep. This can be another vicious cycle. Let’s take a look at what happens when you sleep and how you can sleep better.

MYTH BUSTER

A recent clinical trial of herbal remedies provided evidence that kava kava and valerian were no more effective than an inactive placebo.

Sleep Stages

The first phase of sleep is a light slumber, during which your mind begins to free itself of waking concerns. It is possible to dream during this phase, but the dreams are easily broken by sudden jolts of mental activity, known as spikes. The next phase is a deeper sleep where your brain activity slows down. Dreams are rare during this phase. After you’re refreshed with slow-wave sleep, the rapid eye movement (REM) stage begins. This is when you tend to dream most.

Research suggests that both depression and anxiety disrupt sleep, making it harder to fall asleep and sleep deeply. As a result, sufferers may find sleep nonrestorative even if they get eight hours of it.

One way to improve sleep is to lower worry levels during the day—this will make your mind more able to relax as you drift off.

STRESS RELIEF

Studies have shown that a cooler body temperature can help you get to sleep. Allow at least three hours between exercise and bedtime, and keep your bedroom cool and dark. Spend no more than 20 minutes lying in bed trying to fall asleep. If you haven’t drifted off, get up and do a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again. Repeat this process until you fall asleep.

Improving Sleep

In general, most healthy adults are built for 16 hours of wakefulness and need an average of 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night. However, to some extent this varies by age.

Sometimes it seems that the more you need sleep, the harder it is to get it; stress is an important cause of short-term sleeping difficulties.

Often, sleep problems pass when a stressful situation gets resolved. However, if short-term sleep problems aren’t handled properly from the beginning, they can persist long after the original stress has passed. Worrying about lack of sleep, for example, can make it even harder to relax at night, exacerbating insomnia.

MYTH BUSTER

Think TV, video games, or social media can help you relax? Actually, bursts of light and sound from an electronic device can activate the attention-focusing part of the brain usually reserved for activities such as crossing a busy road. If you want to do something to help you fall asleep, do something boring!

The first step in improving sleep is developing good sleep habits. For example, here are some basic bedtime rules:

• Lower caffeine intake during the day, and avoid it altogether for four to six hours before bedtime.
• Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and heavy meals before bedtime.
• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, and avoid naps longer than 20 minutes.
• Try to wake up without an alarm clock when possible.
• Minimize non-sleep-related activities such as TV watching or computer or phone use in the bedroom.
• Remove or minimize distractions. Use eye shades, ear plugs, or “white noise” if needed.
• Don’t do anything too mentally or physically stimulating in the few hours before bedtime.

When Sleep Is Disrupted

Basic bedtime rules help you get ready for sleep. However, despite your best efforts, you will have the occasional bout of sleeplessness. During these times, the trick is to take some additional steps to promote sleep without panicking in the process:

• If you’ve had trouble falling asleep, don’t let yourself sleep later or spend more time in bed. These strategies usually backfire.
• Let go of catastrophic thoughts such as “I’ll get sick if I don’t get enough sleep” or “I won’t be able to function.”
• Incorporate relaxation techniques into your bedtime routine. Consider listening to a relaxation CD before bedtime.
• Keep a sleep diary for a week, keeping track of what time you go to bed, what you’re doing in the hour just before going to bed, what time you wake up, how often and how long you wake up after falling asleep, how long you slept, and how good it was. Tracking sleep in this way can help you become aware of your habits and see which ones might be worth changing. You might also notice positive patterns you can build on. If nothing else, having to write this all down helps remind you of your commitment to taking care of yourself by sleeping well.

As you can see, getting good sleep can be a challenge. On the one hand, there are many reports about the dangers of sleep deprivation: drowsy driving, less motivation, and more irritability. On the other hand, just because you need seven or eight hours of sleep doesn’t mean you can always get this amount. And stressing about your lack of sleep—when it’s stress that’s causing your sleeplessness in the first place—can add fuel to the fire!

STRESS RELIEF

Research shows that just believing you slept badly will affect you negatively the next day. One or two nights of bad sleep won’t hurt the work performance of the average person on the average day, so keep that in mind.

In this chapter, we’ve explored the relationship between what you ingest and mood/anxiety. We’ve also explored the importance of sleep, how to develop good sleep habits, and what to do when sleep eludes you.

We’ve seen that poor nutrition and lack of sleep can make anxiety worse, and stress can make it harder to get enough sleep or make the right food choices. We’ve spent the last two chapters looking at how you can address this—that is, how you can strengthen yourself through exercise, relaxation, healthful eating, and adequate sleep.

In the next chapter, we shift our focus to exploring how life stressors affect you, how to evaluate your stress levels, and what coping strategies can restore your mental equilibrium.

The Least You Need to Know

• Your diet can impact your mood and anxiety levels.
• Most of us get adequate nutrition through our meals and don’t need vitamin supplements.
• Investigate vitamin supplements and herbal remedies carefully before use; they can be as powerful as prescription drugs.
• Developing good sleep habits is vital.
• Stress is the number-one cause of short-term insomnia. The way you handle restless nights can either minimize their impact or contribute to a growing problem.