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A Recipe for Uninterrupted Sleep

Stacey Justiniano |

In bed by 10PM, awake at 3:00AM. Toss. Turn. Toss. Turn. Alarm blares at 5:30AM and it feels like you never even slept. Sound familiar? Many of us know this all too well and we live life in a constant daze of fatigue. Why does this happen? There isn’t one straightforward answer, however, it is likely related to blood sugar and cortisol (stress hormone) levels fluctuating when they shouldn’t be. Take a look at blog post 40 for more info on blood sugar levels. Typically, blood sugar level fluctuations in the middle of the night when we are asleep, cause a response to wake us up. This leads to interrupted sleep, poor sleep quality, and feeling unrested in the morning. In this blog we will discuss some recipes to help you fall asleep and stay asleep!

Meals high in carbohydrates, low in protein and fats, can lead to blood sugar instability, especially at dinner time. It is important to have a dinner that is well balanced with all three of these nutrients (carbs, fat, and proteins) to prevent blood sugar levels from staying too high and/or dropping too low in the middle of the night. An example of a well balanced meal is this taco bowl recipe below. The ground meat is the protein, avocado is the healthy fat, the cheese, veggies, and yogurt all provide some carbohydrates as well as a little protein. Try it out! (keep reading below recipe for more tips on what to eat before bed)

Ground Turkey Taco Bowl

(4 servings)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey breast, chicken, bison, or lean beef
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup salsa (can be store bought)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½  tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • ½ tsp Chili powder
  • 2 Ripe avocados
  • 2 bags frozen cauliflower rice
  • 4tbsp Plain Greek yogurt or plain Dairy Free yogurt
  • ½ cup low fat shredded cheese or Dairy free cheese
  • 4 cups lettuce of choice
  • 2 small limes

 

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat with extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Place bell peppers and onions in the skillet and sauté 5 minutes or until slightly tender.
  3. Add the ground turkey breast with salt, pepper and all other seasonings.
  4. Use a spatula to break up the meat and mix in the seasonings.
  5. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring it frequently.
  6. Stir in the salsa. Cook cauliflower rice according to package directions. Divide lettuce into 4 servings. 
  7. Split meat into four servings and serve over lettuce. Top each serving with ¼ avocado, 1 tbsp yogurt, and shredded cheese. Squeeze ½ lime over each serving when ready to eat!

 

Not only can having a balanced dinner can be helpful to prevent you from waking up in the middle of the night, but also, having a protein/healthy fat-based snack 30min-1hr before bed can help as well! Hello peanut butter!! For most people, having a snack before bed is just enough to keep blood sugar levels stable during the night. Here is a list of some snack ideas to try.

Bedtime Snacks:

  • 1 Two Good Yogurt or 1 Siggi’s Dairy Free Yogurt
  • 4tbsp PB Fit powder (reconstituted with water) + 2 tbsp chocolate hummus
  • ½ cup Catalina Crunch Protein Cereal + unsweetened plant based milk
  • 1 single serving bag of WILDE protein chips
  • 2 Tbsp nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, Sun Butter)
  • ½ Pre-made protein drink (OWYN, Ripple, Evolve) or 10g protein powder + unsweetened plant based milk 
  • Your favorite decaf tea with 1 scoop collagen powder

 

The main foods recommended to avoid at dinner and before bed are foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates. These are foods that are digested quickly and will cause a spike in blood sugar levels that can lead to instability during the night time. This includes and is not limited to candy, desserts, pasta, bread, rice, corn, sweet peas, potatoes, regular granola and cereal, waffles/pancakes, and so on. 

Try out some of these sleep tricks and let us know what you think. Sweet dreams!

(Blog posts #9 and #23 also discuss sleep if you’re interested in more info!)

Stacey Justiniano

Stacey Justiniano

Upon graduating from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition, Stacey Behm, BSDN-Nutrition Professional, found her passion in helping people become their happiest and healthiest selves. She has a holistic approach to nutrition, taking into account more than the food you are eating. Stacey is soon to become a Registered Dietitian, which requires an extensive dietetic internship, national board exam, and licensing.
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