001 grain brain the surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar your brain's silent killers

3. Time your dinner appropriately. No one likes to go to bed on a full or empty stomach. Find your sweet spot, leaving approximately three hours between dinner and bedtime. Also be aware of ingredients in foods that can be problematic to digest easily before going to bed. Everyone will be different in this department.

4. Don’t eat erratically. Eat on a regular schedule. This will keep your appetite hormones in check. If you delay a meal too long, you will throw your hormones out of whack and trigger the nervous system, which can later impact your sleep.

5. Try a bedtime snack. Nocturnal hypoglycemia (low nighttime blood glucose levels) can cause insomnia. If your blood sugar drops too low, it causes the release of hormones that stimulate the brain and tell you to eat. Try a bedtime snack to avoid this midnight disaster. Go for foods high in the amino acid tryptophan, which is a natural promoter of sleep.

Foods high in tryptophan include turkey, cottage cheese, chicken, eggs, and nuts (especially almonds). Just watch your portion, however. A handful of nuts might be perfect. You don’t want to devour a three-egg omelet with turkey right before bedtime. Choose wisely.

6. Beware of imposter stimulants. You already know that regular coffee will keep you alert, but today caffeine-infused products are everywhere. If you follow my dietary protocol, you’re not likely to encounter these. Also, certain food compounds such as colorings, flavorings, and refined carbs can act as stimulants, so avoid these, too.

7. Set the setting. It should come as no surprise that keeping brainand eye-stimulating electronics in the bedroom is a bad idea. But people still break this most basic rule. Try to keep your bedroom a quiet, peaceful sanctuary free of rousing hardware (e.g., TVs, computers, phones, etc.), as well as bright lights and clutter. Invest in a comfortable bed and plush sheets. Maintain dim lighting. Cultivate a mood for sleep (and sex for that matter, which can also prepare one for sleep, but that’s another story).