Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

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PeteC
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Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by PeteC »

I need another problem sleeping like I need a hole in my head. :banghead: Does anyone else experience a sleeping problem after having a Japanese meal?

My normal usually consists of salmon sushi or sashimi, side of rice if sashimi, small bowl of miso soup, some tofu of various cooking styles, a simple salad, and some fruit. I use very little soy sauce and a moderate amount of wasabi.

At first I thought it was due to high salt content but my limited use of soy sauce is less than the salt I would get in a normal western meal, after which I sleep well. The miso soup and tofu are not overly salty.

I'm really at a loss as it's been going on for a few years now and it is undeniable that it's something with Japanese food. Tested many times.

Appreciate any input from those with similar experiences. Thanks. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by Vital Spark »

Evening, Pete. I'm still wide awake too, but I haven't eaten Japanese food. I'm wondering if it's the event rather than the food. If I have a good evening with good company, and chat about a lot of things I find I'm still 'buzzing' when it's time for shut eye and can't sleep.

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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

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Could be but....it happens with take-away as well which we usually get once a week. In fact the eat in Japanese dinners far out number eating at the restaurant...(daughters school schedule, sports, homework etc.)

I've just been thinking, and I've never considered that tofu or any form of soy could be the cause. Not necessarily the small quantity of soy sauce, but the actual soy side dishes that I order. There's usually 4-5 large chunks of soy involved there.

A soy allergy, is there such a thing? It's simply a vegetable. Perhaps I'll eliminate it for the next few months and see. I never drink soy milk so what I get with the dinners is the only source. Hmmmm? :? Pete :cheers:
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by STEVE G »

I've never eaten much Japanese food Pete but when I lived in Indonesia, I ate tofu all the time without any problems. They had another dish, Tempe, also made from soya and I loved the stuff, used to have it for lunch every day.
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by migrant »

Hmmm Both fish, and tofu, are high protein foods so perhaps something to do with that? As we get older (not old, older!!) our bodies, and metabolisms, change.
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by RCer »

Try having lunch as your main meal and only a snack for dinner. Never go to bed with a full stomach. It's good for not only sleeping but controlling weight.
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

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RCer wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:10 am Try having lunch as your main meal and only a snack for dinner. Never go to bed with a full stomach. It's good for not only sleeping but controlling weight.
Yes, thanks. It's good advice and has been for a long time. The question is who can actually do it. Afternoon is very busy for me around the homestead here, and for most people IMO. You don't want to go into the last half of the day with work to do or activities planned feeling bloated or sleepy. Also, if you do work hard after a big mid-day meal, you're very hungry again by the time evening rolls around. :D

The British system seems the most confusing with reference to "tea" as a meal, "supper" and "dinner". One of the last two can be in very late evening and no idea how they can get a good sleep as the stomach would be very full for sure then. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

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STEVE G wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:24 am I've never eaten much Japanese food Pete but when I lived in Indonesia, I ate tofu all the time without any problems. They had another dish, Tempe, also made from soya and I loved the stuff, used to have it for lunch every day.
I remember fried tempe lunches in Indonesia – served with green sambal, and vegetables like jackfruit in coconut milk, and fried kangkung*** with chili. What a tasty meal; basically a cheap meal for the workers, maybe as a ‘nasi bungkus’ (takeaway).

At the certain risk of making enemies here, I do think Thai food is overrated – apart from mango salad which I take every day, with fried rice.

Unfortunately, the fried rice is usually a sticky mess of recently cooked (still warm and wet) rice; usually with some tomatoes bits added for additional wetness. Need to compare Indonesian fried rice – so much better.

If I compare Indonesian, Thai, Chinese and Malaysian (Nonya) food – for me Thai food is the last choice.

To get back on topic, I had Japanese lunch for last 2 days, and both nights I had sleeping difficulties and mild fever. Previously, I’ve had mild fever after eating Tuna. My perception is that it is the chemical pollutants, though I did not have Tuna this time. Mostly, I just ate miso soup, rice, salad with mayonnaise.

kangkung*** Why is the fried kangkung here nothing but thick inedible stems?
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by PeteC »

Now that is interesting and worthy of more research. At least I am not alone it appears. Pete :cheers:

JohnD wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:13 pm .......To get back on topic, I had Japanese lunch for last 2 days, and both nights I had sleeping difficulties and mild fever. Previously, I’ve had mild fever after eating Tuna. My perception is that it is the chemical pollutants, though I did not have Tuna this time. Mostly, I just ate miso soup, rice, salad with mayonnaise......
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by STEVE G »

kangkung*** Why is the fried kangkung here nothing but thick inedible stems?
I'm no expert on culinary arts but my perception is that it needs to be cooked when it's very fresh and most places don't have that level of freshness.
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by handdrummer »

MSG. It is in many Japanese dishes. It can keep you awake, cause headaches and diarrhea.
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

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handdrummer wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:43 pm MSG. It is in many Japanese dishes. It can keep you awake, cause headaches and diarrhea.
That stuff is everywhere over here. They shovel it in by the spoonful in Thai weetiel (sp) soup and dry, and most all Thai food. The same in HK, China, Singapore etc.

If MSG is my problem then everything has to be cooked at home, no more eating out. :( , unless we can catch the cook and tell them not to use it. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by migrant »

MSG = Aji no moto in Japanese so look for that also
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

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PeteC wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:03 pm
handdrummer wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:43 pm MSG. It is in many Japanese dishes. It can keep you awake, cause headaches and diarrhea.
That stuff is everywhere over here. They shovel it in by the spoonful in Thai weetiel (sp) soup and dry, and most all Thai food. The same in HK, China, Singapore etc.

If MSG is my problem then everything has to be cooked at home, no more eating out. :( , unless we can catch the cook and tell them not to use it. Pete :cheers:
I usually request No MSG when I order. Forgot to do it yesterday at Fuji MV. Spent the rest of the afternoon on the toilet. I needed to lose a couple of kilos anyway.
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Re: Trouble sleeping after Japanese food

Post by Takiap »

Ajinomoto is actually the name of a massive Japanese corporation that manufactures countless food products, of which MSG is only one.

Nearly all Thai dishes contain MSG in one form or another even if the cook/vendor doesn't add actual MSG. For instance, it is in the pork and chicken seasoning powders which are extensively used here (Rod Dee), both the Anijomoto brand and the Knorr brands. You will find that it is in most seasoning sauces here as well, so the reality of the matter is, if you eat Thai food, you WILL be getting MSG whether you like it or not.


For those who enjoy reading, some research will quickly reveal that MSG is not only used in Asia, it is added to food products as a flavor enhancer the world over, and is even present in some non-food items such as toothpaste for example.


While there has been a lot of hype about MSG, it is perhaps worth noting that it has been subjected to more scrutiny than virtually any other item of food, and yet no solid evidence exists to support claims that it cause any ill effects.

MSG was a Japanese discovery and it is still extensively used in Japan, a country that is well known for long life expectancy.

Anyway Pete, I seriously doubt MSG has anything to do with the problem you have with Japanese food. Personally, I would be more concerned about soy, all soy products. Maybe try avoiding all soy with your next Japanese meal and see if it makes a difference.

I also don't believe going to bed with a full stomach is to blame. I know it is supposedly bad for you, but it certainly would keep me from sleeping. Like you, my afternoons are way to busy for me to eat a big lunch, and I even avoid eating a tiny lunch because it makes me drowsy. Most days I have a big dinner at home, and I am usually asleep about an hour later. :oops: I am not overweight as a result, but then again, dinner is typically the only meal I eat, and it has been for countless years already.

Let us know how you get on. :thumb:
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