Are artificial sweeteners ruining my sleep?
Being a sucker for sweet things, I cannot pass up an opportunity for some chocolate or cake. You know how the saying goes a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. Apart from adding to my weight, I found out recently, my sleep disorder could be caused by the sweeteners. Oh, the horror!
The brain is a truly wondrous thing. Once your body receives foods with loads of artificial sugars, the reward centers of the brain will cajole your brain into taking more food. Are you wondering why you can never have enough of that pie, despite everyone being full? There is your answer. Artificial sweeteners and sleep do not mix. In Fact they promote insomnia, a reason you are up at 2am doing nothing.
What the sugars do to keep you at night.
- Keeping the central nervous system awake
Foods and drinks that are caffeinated are psychoactive stimulants. A stimulation of the central nervous system to release excitatory neurotransmitters is done by the caffeine. This keeps your central nervous system awake, literally making it hard for you to sleep. Moreover, caffeine being a natural diuretic will have you waking up at odd hours to go to the bathroom. As a precaution, take caffeine mostly in the mornings since it stays in the system for up to 12 hours.
- Increasing glucose levels
Glucose is found in most products containing artificial sweeteners. Once you have an intake of these products, a spike in the glucose levels in your body is felt. A feeling of restlessness arises which makes it hard for you to catch some sleep. The feeling exists since the brain requires high amounts of glucose to function. It will be hard for the brain to reduce its functions when large amounts of glucose are available for it to use. Sleeping will be put off till the mind is relaxed, and its functions are down to a minimal. Artificial sweeteners and sleep are like water and oil, they don’t mix. Keep off them.
- Affecting digestive system
Foods containing artificial sweeteners take longer for the digestive system to break down. It will be hard for the body to power down when it is required and let you sleep if it is still digesting foods.
- Increasing amino acids
Foods produced with a high amount of artificial sugars in them release amino acids into the system. Once the high amounts of amino acids are released into the blood, tryptophan reaching the brain is affected. Tryptophan is the essential amino acid used to induce sleep. It will help synthesize other hormones that induce sleep. Therefore with tryptophan affected sleeping will be a problem for you.
Conclusion
Apart from adding to your weight, foods and drinks laced with artificial sweeteners are also causing you sleepless nights literally! It is high time you kicked them out of your diet and watch the sleep come back like it never left.