A complementing relationship

This week, our cover story is about something we don’t give too much thought to. From a young age, all of us have heard that sugar and caffeine before bed is bad for sleep. In fact, almost all of us were forbidden by our parents to snack on sugary foods before bedtime as it would keep us up. Now, new research conducted has suggested that what we eat does indeed affect how we sleep, and vice versa.

For example, researchers have found that eating foods which are high in sugar, processed carbs and saturated fats can disrupt our sleep. On the other hand, if we include more plants, good fats and high fibre foods in our diet, it could promote good quality of sleep.

But the relationship between diet and sleep go hand-in-hand. Scientists also found that when people don’t sleep well, it nudges them towards eating unhealthy and junk food. Adults who got only four to five hours sleep at night were more likely to consume extra calories and snack continuously throughout the day.

In other news this week, turn to our Food pages for easy recipes of hot chocolate. The weather has finally cooled down enough to enjoy a hot cup topped with whipped cream and marshmallows.