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Mental Wellness

7 Foods That Will Help You Sleep Better

Sleep · February 21, 2023

7 Foods That Will Help You Sleep Better

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You’ve tried the food changes. Added the probiotic

You’ve tried the food changes. Added the probiotics. Swapped the coffee. Maybe even tracked every bite, hoping for clarity.⁠
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But if your gut still feels unsettled, there’s one area you might not have explored deeply enough: sleep.⁠
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Poor sleep disrupts the systems that quietly keep your gut functioning behind the scenes.⁠
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When you’re short on rest, your body leans into survival mode. Stress hormones rise. Inflammation creeps in. Your gut lining gets less of the repair time it needs. And the delicate balance of bacteria in your microbiome shifts, often in ways that lead to more reactivity, more cravings, and more of that “off” feeling.⁠
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Sleep is when your gut recalibrates. Literally.⁠
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Here’s what happens during quality rest:⁠
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- Your gut lining regenerates, essential for keeping you protected⁠
- Cortisol levels drop so your system can digest, not just defend⁠
- Microbial balance resets, restoring the good bugs that support mood, immunity, and metabolism⁠
- Appetite-regulating hormones stabilize, making you less likely to crave sugar or overeat the next day⁠
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Supporting better sleep doesn’t require a massive routine. It just asks for consistency:⁠
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- Let your body know when it’s time to wind down, and have the same sleep and wake times whenever possible⁠
- Give your digestion a head start -- stop eating 2–3 hours before bed⁠
- Turn down the noise, literally and metaphorically. Dim the lights, silence your phone, stretch, or breathe for five minutes before bed⁠
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Gut healing isn’t always about doing more. Often, it’s about giving your body space to do what it already knows how to do when you stop interrupting the process.

Managing blood sugar involves more than just your

Managing blood sugar involves more than just your food choices. If you experience energy dips, brain fog, or a wired-tired feeling after what seems like a balanced meal, it might be linked to how your gut processes food rather than sugar levels alone.⁠
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Here’s how the microbiome influences blood sugar regulation on a deeper level:⁠
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1) Microbes shape how you metabolize carbohydrates⁠
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Two people can eat the same breakfast but experience completely different energy levels afterward. This difference often begins in the gut, where various bacterial strains react to food in unique ways. These interactions affect how quickly or slowly sugars are released and absorbed by the body.⁠
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2) An imbalanced gut may disrupt insulin signaling⁠
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When beneficial bacteria levels are low, the gut lining can become more permeable. This subtle shift may trigger the immune system, influencing insulin sensitivity and causing greater fluctuations in the body's glucose handling.⁠
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3) Fiber’s benefits depend on microbial capacity⁠
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Consuming plenty of greens and flax is beneficial, but it’s essential to have the right microbes in your gut to ferment that fiber effectively. Without this fermentation process, you won't receive the full metabolic benefits. The short-chain fatty acids produced during fermentation play a crucial role in regulating blood sugar, but this can only happen if fermentation takes place.⁠
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4) Some crashes may stem from gut-based stress, not food⁠
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Shakiness or lightheadedness does not always indicate a drop in glucose levels. If your gut is inflamed, the nervous system may interpret that inflammation as a signal of urgency, leading to symptoms that feel metabolic, even when glucose levels are stable.⁠
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Sometimes, discussions about blood sugar start in the gut—quietly, long before the numbers change.

Exhaustion can often stick around, even after a go

Exhaustion can often stick around, even after a good night’s sleep. It’s not just about the hours you logged; sometimes, your body never truly receives the signal that it’s safe to relax.⁠
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“Rest” is more than simply slowing down. It’s about allowing your body to transition into a space where healing and rejuvenation can truly take place.⁠
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This shift can be quite nuanced. And interestingly, it doesn't always happen while lounging on the couch.⁠
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Here are a few versions of rest that don’t always look like rest from the outside:⁠
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Rest through rhythm.⁠
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Folding laundry at half-speed. A slow walk with no destination, just a loop around the neighborhood where your mind starts to unspool a little. Sometimes, rhythm gives your system something more restful than stillness.⁠
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Rest through boundaries.⁠
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You let the call go to voicemail because your nervous system tensed just seeing the name. The text you don’t reply to right away because you don’t owe instant access. The evening you choose not to “catch up” and let the mess stay messy.⁠
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Rest through pleasure.⁠
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Not self-care as performance. But actual pleasure -- the kind that doesn’t ask for anything in return. Clean sheets that smell like eucalyptus. A meal that feels soft and warm and simple. Ten extra minutes in the shower to feel your breath come back into your ribs.⁠
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Rest through presence.⁠
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Turning off the podcast. Letting the silence settle around you while you lie on the floor. Sitting in the car after arriving home, not rushing to the next thing. Noticing the tension in your shoulders without needing to fix it. Rest often starts in the places we stop filling.⁠
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You might find yourself busy with a hundred activities that seem like rest on the surface. But if your body is still bracing, scanning, or tightening, that’s a clear signal something's off.⁠
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True rest isn't just something you catch during sleep.⁠
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It comes when your body finally realizes: you’re here, and nothing more is expected of you.

There are times when a fully booked calendar feels

There are times when a fully booked calendar feels exciting. Then there are times when every notification, every “quick check-in,” and every color-coded block starts to blur together, becoming a drain. This year, I’m focusing on protecting more space within the rhythm of my schedule, without needing to completely clear my calendar.

Here’s what’s helping me:

I’m scheduling buffers as if they’re actual meetings.

I’m setting aside ten-minute transitions between calls and allowing an hour of padding after social plans. This is about taking a moment to reconnect with myself before shifting gears again. It makes a significant difference between feeling pulled in different directions and feeling present.

I’m treating flexible days as non-negotiable.

If a day has fewer time-bound tasks, I’m committed to keeping it that way. This might mean saying no to last-minute requests or allowing a few things to move to tomorrow. I’ve learned that open space doesn’t stay that way unless I actively protect it.

I’m revisiting what “enough” looks like weekly, not just seasonally.

There are weeks when three items on my calendar feel light, while in others, even one event feels overwhelming. I’ve stopped using productivity as my baseline for capacity. Now, I check in with how much mental and emotional energy I actually have.

I’m not front-loading everything to “get it over with.”

In the past, I believed stacking too many tasks into Monday was a smart way to reset. Now, I prefer to let the week unfold gently. I schedule one meeting, one errand, or one priority, and then I see what else can fit. I still accomplish a lot, but I do it with more steadiness and fewer crashes.

I’m allowing slow replies without guilt.

Some texts sit unanswered for a day, and some emails for even longer, not because I don’t care, but because I want to respond from a settled place rather than a scattered one. And when others do the same, I understand it much better now.

None of these strategies are about simplifying my calendar to make it look better. They’re about transforming how I navigate it so that the calendar feels more like a helpful tool rather than a tide I’m being swept up in.

Mat Pilates is a gentle, approachable way to build

Mat Pilates is a gentle, approachable way to build strength, improve mobility, and reconnect with your body—making it a wonderful practice to embrace. With a focus on mindful movement, breath, and supportive alignment, it helps strengthen the core, improve posture, and support joint health without feeling overwhelming or high-impact. In particular, it can be very helpful for resolving chronic issues such as back pain.⁠
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Here's how to establish an at-home practice as a beginner.⁠
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1. Define your goals and respect your body⁠
Clarify what you want from Pilates and assess any physical limitations to guide appropriate exercise selection and pacing. Having a few private sessions with an instructor can be helpful when first getting started.⁠
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2. Create a supportive practice environment⁠
Set up a dedicated, uncluttered space with a quality mat and optional props (resistance bands, foam roller, 1-2 lb weights) to ensure safety and comfort.⁠
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3. Build on strong foundations⁠
Learn and apply core Pilates principles—breathing, alignment, core engagement, control, and flow—to improve results and reduce injury risk. ⁠
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While in-person classes or private instruction is a great way to learn the basics, there are also some fantastic instructors online. On YouTube, check out Jessica Valant, Move with Nicole, or Flow with Mira. PilatesAnytime is an online streaming platform and app that boasts the largest online Pilates library with classes for all levels.⁠
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4. Start simply and stay consistent⁠
Begin with beginner-level classes, practicing 20–30 minutes a few times per week, prioritizing consistency over intensity.⁠
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5. Progress mindfully with support⁠
Listen to your body, incorporate warm-ups and cool-downs, modify as needed, and advance gradually—seeking professional guidance when helpful. 💪

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Grass Valley, CA 95945
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