What Foods Could Help Reduce Sleep Apnoea Symptoms?

In an ideal world everyone wants to find natural solutions for health issues, and more often than not this boils down to certain foods.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition which affects thousands of individuals in the UK. It can manifest itself as a feeling of choking whilst asleep and leaves suffers not having a good night’s sleep and feeling the resulting effects in the morning and throughout the day.

Whilst there isn’t a whole lot of evidence that food directly improves sleep apnoea, some foods do contain nutrients that promote healthy sleep which can be a nice complement to your obstructive sleep apnoea treatment. Being overweight can often worsen OSA, so in this sense it’s certainly wise to watch what you eat. Other foods have anti-inflammatory effects that may help with OSA.

What foods could help you get to sleep?

We now know quite a bit about what’s in our food and how it affects health.

There has been a lot of buzz about micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other substances found in food.

(We’re all familiar with the macronutrients – carbs, fats, and proteins.)

Micronutrients have been linked to wide variety of health benefits and some promote healthy sleep.

The micronutrient food-types good for sleep include:

1. Melatonin-Rich Foods

Melatonin is the hormone that tells your body its time to sleep. It’s tied into the body’s sleep/wake cycle, increasing when its dark and decreasing when it’s light.

It tends to drop as you age and melatonin supplements have become popular.

What to try:

Fruits – cherries, pomegranate, grapes

Vegetables – corn, asparagus, tomatoes, olives, grapes, broccoli, cucumber

Grains – rice, barley, oats

Nuts and seeds – walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, flax seed

2. Tryptophan-Rich Foods

Tryptophan is one of the many amino acids found in protein. In the body, it can be turned into the neurotransmitter serotonin which is then used to make melatonin.

In studies, dietary tryptophan intake has been linked to sleep duration and tryptophan supplementation has been found to improve sleep.

What to try:

Diary – milk, yogurt

Fruits – apples, bananas, peaches, avocado

Vegetables – spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus, onions, seaweed

Legumes – kidney beans, lima beans, black beans, split peas, chickpeas

Meats – chicken, seafood

Nuts and seeds – walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, flax seed

3. Calcium-Rich Foods

Calcium is a mineral used by the body for many different things. In the brain, it helps the body make melatonin from tryptophan.

Did you know that calcium intake has been associated with poor sleep? Calcium rich diets have been shown to help patients with insomnia.

What to try:

Diary – milk, cheese, yogurt

Fruits – apples, bananas, peaches, avocado

Vegetables – dark leafy greens, green snap peas, okra, broccoli

Legumes – soybeans

Meats – sardines

More about calcium and sleep

4. Magnesium-Rich Foods

Magnesium is a mineral used by the body for many biochemical reactions and supports biological functions like the immune system. It’s also important for sleep and acts as a natural relaxant to help deactivate adrenaline.

What to try:

Diary – yogurt

Fruits – avocados, bananas,

Vegetables – leafy greens

Legumes – soybeans

Meats – fish

Nuts and seeds – almonds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews, flax seed, pecans

Whole grains

5. Vitamin B-Rich Foods

The B-complex vitamins help make energy out of food. They also play a role in moods and sleep.

deficiencies in vitamin B-6 have been linked to depression and poor sleep. Lower consumption of dietary B-6 has also been tied to insomnia.

What to try:

Diary – eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt

Fruits – avocados, bananas, citrus fruits

Vegetables – leafy greens, spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus, onions, seaweed

Legumes – beans, lentils, chickpeas, green peas, kidney beans, pinto beans, lima beans, black beans, split peas, chickpeas

Meats – fish, chicken, pork, red meat

Nuts and seeds

Whole grains

Like anything in life, balance is the key – keep an eye on your food groups and experiment with the above. Remember though, if you are suffering with OSA it is important to see your doctor to ensure there aren’t any other underlying health problems.