How well do you sleep as an expert in healthy eating?

Anna Hüsing is a nutritionist who gives us a very personal insight into her sleep habits. She explains how a good diet is linked to healthy sleep and gives us great tips for a sleep-friendly, balanced diet.

Table of contents

1. Our expert: Nutritionist Anna Hüsing
2. How well does the nutritionist sleep?
3. More tips & interesting facts about nutrition & sleep

1. Our expert: nutritionist Anna Hüsing

Our sleep depends on many different factors, and even as an expert in the field, we are not immune to a bad night. Anna Hüsing is a qualified nutritionist and food scientist and currently works as a lecturer at the IST Study Institute in Düsseldorf. In our Podcast She told us what breakfast she starts her day with and how she manages to make her everyday life healthy and sleep-friendly.

2. How well does our food & nutrition expert sleep?

[An interview with Anna Hüsing]

In general, would you say that you sleep well?

Yes, definitely. I'm in bed by 10 at the latest, sleep through until 6, and then I jump out of bed like toast from a toaster. It's almost disgusting how well this works for me, but I'm totally glad it does. Sometimes it works. Fall asleep Not so much, then I'm kind of lost in my own thoughts, but all in all I sleep really well.

Do you often have trouble falling asleep?

Sometimes it lasts a moment, but it's not a long-term problem. It usually happens when I'm going through stressful periods, like exam periods at university or a stressful time at work. I find that so mentally exhausting that I can't relax as well.

Approximately how many hours a night do you sleep?

I can always manage a good 7 to 7.5 hours if I sleep from about 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. I usually wake up a little before the alarm goes off, so I can lie down for a few more minutes, and then I can get up feeling pretty relaxed. It's really rare that I feel exhausted.

Are you more of a lark or an owl?

Probably a classic early bird. I actually get up earlier than necessary for my job because I can't do much in the evening after work because then everything shuts down completely. I definitely use the morning for organizational tasks or anything that requires a lot of brainpower. I also sometimes do housework or go to the gym in the morning. When I'm tired, I get cranky—it's like when other people are hungry. In the evening, I usually don't get as much done.

Do you have a morning or breakfast routine?

So first I have to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth, then I wash my face, and from then on, it's incredibly different—including whether I want to eat breakfast or not. Sometimes I absolutely need a lot, and sometimes a handful of nuts is enough, and then I can't eat properly until two hours later. But I need my biggest meal in the morning or mid-morning.

What do you like to eat for breakfast?

Bread! I've been eating it since I was a child, and I like it that way. I don't feel as full after eating porridge or yogurt, and I know I need the chewing sensation to feel truly full. There are different receptors that trigger satiety, and it doesn't just affect stomach expansion. That's why I usually eat bread with spread.

Do you need a coffee to wake up?

I don't need it to be awake, so for me it's just pure enjoyment.

How did you come to focus intensively and professionally on nutrition?

I think I've always been curious. As a child, I always had a packed lunch, which I thought was really stupid at the time. All the kids would swap with each other if they had a chocolate bar or a cereal bar or something else packaged. Unfortunately, I was never able to swap with them because my siblings and I always had a sandwich, a good sandwich, and nicely cut fruit and vegetables. My mom always prepared it lovingly so we had something substantial.

I think that's where my curiosity, or even my interest in differences in nutrition, came from. Questions like: Why is a bell pepper important? Why does it contain vitamin C, and what is it? What do the different colors of bell peppers mean? I became genuinely curious about what's in our diet and what nourishes us.

"Healthy eating" isn't always easy to integrate into everyday life. What's your absolute favorite motivational tip?

When I have to decide how to structure my next few days in terms of nutrition or exercise, it can be helpful to imagine that you have to take care of the body of your sister, mother, etc. Then ask yourself: How would I take care of this body and what would I give it? And why don't I do this for myself?

My body isn't just my vehicle; I can also give something good back. Maintaining this balance between giving and taking really motivates me to do something for myself and eat healthy.

3. More tips & information on nutrition & sleep

In our special podcast series about healthy eating, you can learn even more about Anna Hüsing and discover exciting details about the important connection between sleep habits and healthy eating. Click here for the podcast ➨

Best regards!