Of any time of day, for many people, bedtime is the most coveted. It’s the end of the day; it’s finally quiet; there are no more things expected of us for a few hours. Unfortunately, for many people, the sleep they’re getting isn’t the best quality. And there are a host of contributors to that, like chronic stress, overloaded schedules, lifestyle choices, health, environmental factors – the list goes on. It seems almost everything you do affects the sleep you get at night.
There’s no shortage of advice on how to support your sleep cycle and the important bodily processes associated with quality sleep. But, still, there are always lurking players that could be culprits of rampant restlessness. One of them is sugar.
Why Consuming Sugar Sabotages Your Sleep
While late-night snack habits tend to revolve around sweet treats, it’s counterintuitive. High sugar intake is harmful any time of day, but especially at night. That’s because when you consume sugar, a host of things happen in your body:
- Increases blood sugar levels, which increases alertness and energy levels
- Causes the pancreas to release insulin, which signals the body to prepare for activity
- Uses up magnesium, which is integral to inducing and maintaining sleep
- Stimulates your digestive system, which is supposed to relax and slow at night
In addition, blood sugar crashes can cause you to wake mid-night feeling thirsty, hungry or nervous. Then, when you factor in the health risks of sugar and how those disrupt sleep, the problems compound. For instance:
- High sugar diets can lead to weight gain, which is a main risk factor for sleep apnea.
- Too much sugar increases risk of Type 2 Diabetes, which is associated with chronic poor sleep.
- High sugar diets cause metabolic alterations which can impair brain activity and disrupt processes important for the sleep/wake cycle.
And then there’s all the research on sugar and sleeplessness –
What the Research Says About Sugar & Sleep
There’s a host of literature available on how sugary diets affect sleep negatively. Some of the most recent studies have garnered pretty significant findings:
- A 2018 study found that chronic fructose consumption resulted in decreased REM state sleep.
- A 2019 study found a statistically significant correlation between decreased sleep quality and increased added sugar intake.
- A 2016 study found that people who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages had shorter sleep duration than those who (a) consumed less and/or (b) did not consume them at all.
- A 2014 study found:
- Low veggie and fish intake coupled with high confectionary and noodle intake were identified as independent factors in poor sleep quality.
- Poor sleep quality was associated with high-carb diets.
- There was a statistically significant positive correlation between energy drink consumption and poor sleep quality.
- A 2018 study found that shorter sleep duration was associated with higher sugar intake and longer sleep duration was associated with lower sugar consumption. In addition, poor sleep quality was associated with diets low in nutritional foods and high in processed and carb-heavy foods.
- A 2019 study found that higher dietary GI was a risk factor for insomnia.
- A 2021 study found a direct relationship between higher sugar consumption and lower sleep quality.
- A 2014 study found health disparities in energy drink consumption and sleep duration.
How to Cut Sugar Without Making Life Suck
Let’s be honest – life would suck with zero sugar. But you can absolutely cut back on sugars without making every meal into a grey dystopian cafeteria tray of mushed steamed vegetables and barely-seasoned lentils. The goal isn’t to become the person who brings their own unsweetened almonds to birthday parties… because that person is annoying. It’s just about being more aware:
1. Start with the obvious sugar bombs.
Don’t get weird about things and count every gram of sugar in a handful of raspberries – added sugars are where you can really slash unnecessary consumption. Soda, coffee creamer, energy drinks, snack bars, even some salty stuff like dipping sauces and beef jerky. Just start looking at the nutrition panel and slowly switch the major offenders out; you don’t need to overhaul your whole diet to make a difference.
2. Don’t drink your sugar.
Liquid sugar is sneaky! It’s too easy to drink, and it doesn’t feel like it counts because it’s not food. But – and not to be dramatic – that caramel frappuccino you drank this morning will steal your will to live later tonight when you’re tossing and turning.
Try sparkling water, unsweetened tea, or a low-sugar energy drink replacement. However, don’t go with artificial chemicals and lots of caffeine – choose natural low-cal sweeteners like stevia leaf and caffeine alternatives like paraxanthine.
3. Make “less sweet” your new normal.
As every parent who has had a toddler angrily chuck baby carrots at them knows, taste buds are trainable. If everything you’re eating and drinking is sweet, naturally sweet foods can start tasting disappointingly… not sweet.
Don’t go cold turkey; that feels horrible. Instead, gradually dial it back. Use a little less sweetener; choose plain yogurt and add fruit; try dark chocolate instead of a chocolate cookie. Give your palate (and brain) some time to recalibrate. Eventually, giant sugar bombs will start tasting less like a treat and more like getting waterboarded with pancake syrup.
How to Support Daily Energy Levels & Sleep at the Same Time
If you’re thinking, “Okay, so I’ll just switch to the sugar-free options for coffee creamers and energy drinks”, not so fast, because artificial sweeteners aren’t great for sleep either. Or a bunch of other things – they’re high-key scary, to be honest. Check out our article: Unreal Sugars Come with Unreal Health Risks.
Anyway, that horrible excuse for a loophole aside, what is there as an alternative to energy drinks and coffee? MTE, of course! MTE is a caffeine-free energy drink powder that offers jitter-free energy that doesn’t end in a crash or mess with your sleep. All those things keep you on the hamster wheel of feeling exhausted all the time no matter what; MTE is a new kind of energy blend that, like… doesn’t do that.
This carefully researched blend of scientifically backed adaptogens and nootropics supports your body’s neurochemical and physiological processes to promote balanced daily energy and healthy nightly recovery. Paraxanthine – which is way better than caffeine, by the way – frees up dopamine and quiets fatigue signaling for a feel-good, jitter-free performance boost – focus, fitness, mood – all boosted.
It’s not just energy, though; companion adaptogens support stress resilience and recovery while nootropics boost cognition and metabolism. Plus a bunch of other cool stuff like immune system support, gut health, and promoting a healthy inflammatory response.
Wanna know more about this new, natural more-than-energy drink? Check it out.
