Foods rich in magnesium can make you sleep better

National Geographic Food has revealed the five foods everyone should eat regularly to put an end to insomnia. Spicy or fatty foods, caffeine, booze: all can irritate human digestive system, prevent deep sleep or simply take a long time to digest. Foods containing tryptophan found in most protein-rich produce like milk, meat, eggs, fish and vegetables are great for a start.

This essential amino acid aids the release of sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. It’s also in cheese, it contains the amino acid tyramine, which, makes the brain feel more alert. National Geographic Food names five foods that can boost your chances of getting a great night’s sleep. They are: marmite, turkey,banana, almond and oat.

MARMITE
The black stuff is rich in magnesium, which calms the nerves, relaxing muscles and improving  slumber.
TURKEY
Turkey is the lean meat that can help you slip into a successful slumber, because of its high levels of tryptophan.
BANANAS
Packed with muscle relaxants magnesium, potassium, tryptophan and vitamin B, it’s no wonder bananas have been touted as a natural sleeping pill.
ALMONDS
Ticking the tryptophan box once again, these nuts also deliver a hearty dose of healthy fats and magnesium.
OATS
As well as being full of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, these wholesome flakes assist the body in producing the hormone melatonin, which causes drowsiness.
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Circadian timing of food and body mass index

Researchers examined the relationships between body fat, body mass index and the timing of food consumption, to time of day and to the body's circadian clock. They discovered that the timing of food intake relative to melatonin onset, a marker of a person's biological night, is associated with higher Body Mass Index BMI, and not associated with the time of day, amount or composition of food intake.

The time of calories consumption, relative to personal biological timing may be more important for health than the actual time of the day. Researchers analyzed data collected from different participants to monitor daily meal intake.

Investigation to assess the timing of their melatonin onset, marking onset of sleep, and their body composition.
Researchers found that individuals with high body fat percentages consumed most of their calories shortly before going to sleep when melatonin levels were high, compared to individuals with lower percentages of body fat.

Researchers found that they were unable to detect a relationship between the clock hour of food intake, caloric amount, meal composition, exercise level, or sleep duration, and either of these body composition measures.

Researchers concluded that these results provide evidence that the consumption of food during the circadian night, independent of more traditional risk factors such as amount or content of food intake and activity level, plays an important role in body composition.
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Outdoor light increases the risk of breast cancer

Regular exposure to higher levels of outdoor light at night may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The link was stronger among women who worked at night, exposed to light at night and night shift work contribute to breast cancer risk through circadian disruption.

Lighting during the night can disrupt circadian rhythms, reducing circulating melatonin levels and resetting of the circadian. Reduced melatonin may increase breast cancer risk, increased estrogen production and altered estrogen receptor function.

Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in regulating the body's sleep cycle. Melatonin production is high at night and is lower during the day. When women work at night or if they're exposed to external light at night, their melatonin levels tend to stay low.

As levels of outdoor light at night increased, so did breast cancer rates.
The association between outdoor light at night and breast cancer was found among women who were premenopausal and those who were current or past smokers.
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Light from digital devices reduces sleep quality

Blue light increases alertness and regulates our internal body clock. This artificial light activates photoreceptors known as intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells ipRGCs, which suppresses melatonin.

The blue light emitted from digital devices could contribute to the high prevalence of sleep dysfunction, it contributes to decrease in sleep quality.

Study participants wore short wavelength-blocking glasses three hours before bedtime for two weeks, while still performing their nightly digital routine.

Results showed that some of the participants melatonin levels increase. Melatonin is a chemical that gives body signals to sleep.

Wearing activity and sleep monitors 24 hours a day increases sleep duration.
The largest source of blue light is sunlight, it's also found in most LED-based devices like computers, mobile phones and television.

Limiting screen time, applying screen filters, wearing computer glasses that block blue light, or using anti-reflective lenses to reduce the effects of artificial light at nighttime can prevent the effects of blue light.
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Sleeping less than five hours increases risk of prostate cancer

According to scientists, sleeping less than five hours a night may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Men above 65 years that are not sleeping up to seven hours recommended by National Sleep Foundation are at risk of developing terminal diseases.

American Cancer Society in Atlanta examined data from two long-term studies. The first study followed more than 407,000 men between 1950 and 1972, the second followed 416,000 men from 1982 to 2012.

All the men were cancer free at the beginning of the study, more than 1,500 men in first study and more than 8,700 men in second study died of prostate cancer when checked out later.

Not sleeping very well turned off genes that protect cancer growth and prevent production of melatonin. According to Dr Gapstur, reduced melatonin can accelerate genetic mutations, reduced DNA repair and weakened immune system.

Time zones may increase your risk of cancer

A new study suggests the effects of time zones can contribute to development of some cancers that are linked to change in biological clock.

Researchers examined data of 4 million adults from more than 600 countries who had been diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2012

They discovered that every 5 degree of longitude toward the west that a person lived from the eastern edge of their time zone increased risk of developing cancer.

Researchers said men who lived in the western-most region of a time zone had risk of developing prostate cancer, compared with men that lived in eastern-most regions of time zone.

They found that women living in the western-most region had risk of developing breast cancer compared to women living in eastern-most regions of time zone.

Normally, living things are supposed to be exposed to sun during the day and darkness at night but people stay indoor during the day and exposed to light at night, this can reduce melatonin at night, alter immune system and raise risk of developing cancer.