Food That Helps You Sleep

Many people have a temporary drop in alertness in the early afternoon, commonly known as the “post-lunch dip.” While a large meal can make a person feel sleepy, the post-lunch dip is mostly an effect of the biological clock.

People naturally feel most sleepy (have the greatest “drive for sleep”) at two times of the day about 12 hours apart—for example, at 2:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. At those two times, the body clock “kicks in.”

At about 2 p.m. (14:00), it overrides the homeostatic buildup of sleep debt, allowing several more hours of wakefulness. At about 2 a.m. (02:00), with the daily sleep debt paid off, it “kicks in” again to ensure a few more hours of sleep.

There are many reasons for poor sleep. Following sleep hygienic principles may solve problems of physical or emotional discomfort.

When pain, illness, drugs, or stress are the culprit, the cause must be treated. Sleep disorders (including the sleep apneas, narcolepsy, primary insomnia, periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), restless leg syndrome (RLS), and the circadian rhythm sleep disorders) are treatable.

Older people are more easily awoken by disturbances in the environment and may to some degree lose the ability to consolidate sleep. They need the same amount per day as they’ve always needed, but may need to take some of their sleep as daytime naps.