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Sleep, exercise and breakfast: The key to alertness

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#wellness #health #nutrition #exercise
Published
02/03/2023

Numerous studies have attempted to provide a definitive answer about how to get the best quality sleep and stay alert the following day.

Many experts extol the virtues of undertaking a relaxing pre-bedtime routine before sleep to minimise the disruption suffered during the night.

Recent research by Betway Insider supported that notion, pinpointing meditating for 30 minutes before bedtime as the best way to get great sleep.

Reading a book and listening to relaxing music also ranked highly, while watching serious content on television was deemed to be counterproductive to sleeping well.

Another study led by one of the top experts in his field recently expanded on that point by claiming that there is more to sleep than meets the eye.

Respected neuroscientist Matthew Walker fronted a study conducted by a group at the University of California into the impact sleep has on alertness.

They discovered that even if a person got a good night’s sleep, it was still feasible for them to wake up feeling groggy and lacking alertness.

However, participants who also undertook regular physical activity and consumed a healthy breakfast were found to be far more alert than those who did not.

The first element was fairly simple to understand, with keeping active known to provide numerous benefits to both physical and mental wellbeing.

By pushing yourself to be active, your body needs to rest and recuperate through sleep. In essence, undertaking the active part leads to better sleep.

Given that people who exercise regularly also gain positive mood benefits, it is easy to see where this fits into the alertness equation.

The findings relating to breakfast consumption were more significant and mark a major leap forward in understanding the role this plays alongside sleep and exercise.

Study participants were given different types of breakfasts to determine the impact this had on blood glucose levels throughout the day.

A breakfast containing high amounts of simple sugar was found to be the worst, as this impacted a person’s ability to wake up effectively and maintain alertness.

By contrast, a high carbohydrate breakfast incorporating a modest amount of protein helped participants get up to full speed more quickly and sustain that state for longer.

A key element to the findings was that the individual must already have a healthy body to glean the maximum alertness benefits from eating this type of breakfast.

This allowed them to efficiently dispose of the glucose from the meal and prevent a sustained blood sugar spike that would normally blunt alertness.

Walker believes the group’s findings provide people with a more accurate insight into the link between sleep, exercise and breakfast.

“We have known for some time that a diet high in sugar is harmful to sleep, not to mention being toxic for the cells in your brain and body,” Walker said.

“However, what we have discovered is that, beyond these harmful effects on sleep, consuming high amounts of sugar in your breakfast, and having a spike in blood sugar following any type of breakfast meal, markedly blunts your brain’s ability to return to waking consciousness following sleep.”

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