AASM: How You Eat This Thanksgiving May Affect The Quality Of Your Sleep

Thanksgiving is a day in which people usually sleepiness after indulging themselves with a heavy meal. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), in order to help ensure a good night's sleep on Thanksgiving, remain active in the afternoon and avoid eating a big meal too close to bedtime.

Donna Arand, PhD, clinical director of the Kettering Sleep Disorders Center in Dayton, Ohio, and research assistant professor at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, says that the drowsiness feeling that it so often among the people on Thanksgiving is probably due to the fact that the traditional Thanksgiving dinner in tryptophan, which has been known to promote sleepiness.


"Turkey is particularly high in tryptophan, while other milk and dairy products also contain tryptophan, "says Dr. Arand." L - tryptophan is an amino acid in the body for the production of serotonin, a brain chemical in the REM sleep. Research has shown that an increase in the L - tryptophan produced sedation and can shorten sleep latency. So the feeling sleepy after a Thanksgiving dinner is probably the result of increased L - tryptophan. "


Ralph Downey III, PhD, director of the sleep medicine at the Sleep Disorders Center in Loma Linda University (ETA) Medical Center in Loma Linda, California, an associate professor of medicine, pediatrics and neurology an ETA, and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, says that tryptophan can play a role in the feeling of sleepiness after a heavy Thanksgiving meal, it is also likely to be the sleep debt that the person has over a given period of time.


"Thanksgiving and sleepiness go together like turkey and pumpkin pie chart. Sleepiness that we experience may be partly to the food, but probably due to the fact that we are relaxing with family and friends or at the traditional parades and football games, "says Dr. Downey." We feel sleepy or nap, because we are in a relaxed condition. When we finally relax, our brain is primed for the sleep from the days when it was still not as many. It is probably much less tryptophan in the turkey, as it is sleep debt built up in your brain, a sleepy Thanksgiving holiday. "


On average, most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well rested.


The AASM offers the following tips on how to create a good sleep:


-you do not go to bed hungry, but do not eat a large meal before bedtime either.

- Avoid alcohol, food or drinks, caffeine, and the medicine, has a stimulant before bedtime.

-Follow a consistent bedtime routine.

-creation of a relaxed setting before bedtime.

-Get a complete sleep every night.

- Avoid any rigorous exercise within six hours of your bedtime.

-Make your bedroom quiet, dark and a little cool.

Get in the same time every morning.


SleepEducation.com, a Web site created by the AASM, provides information about the various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the subject of sleep , insomnia studies, which have been conducted and a list of sleep.


AASM is a professional membership organization dedicated to the promotion of sleep medicine and sleep disturbances connected with the research.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine