The famous 19th-century poem "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" includes this familiar phrase: "visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." An abundance of this old-fashioned confection -- named for its shape, not for the inclusion of actual plums -- could make a body sleepy, thanks to the effects of sugar. Don’t rely on sugar plums or any other sweet treat to help you sleep, however. If you do need help sleeping, consult your physician before attempting self-treatment.
Sugar Plum Significance
From the 17th through the 19th centuries "sugar plum" was a popular term for a wide range of candies and confections. The sugar plums also known as dragees start with a central kernel covered in hard layers of sugar. The kernel might be a caraway or cardamom seed or an almond, for example. Today's Jordan almonds and jawbreakers use modern equipment to make cheaply what was once a tedious, time-consuming and therefore expensive product. Another type of sugar plum is made with ground fruits, nuts and holiday spices rolled into balls and covered with sugar or some other sweet finish. In 1822, when "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" was first published, all types of sugar plums would have been expensive, a rare sweet treat the likes of which most children could expect to enjoy only on a special occasion like Christmas.
Sugar and Orexin
If you eat a sugary treat like a sugar plum or one of its modern descendants, you may start to feel sleepy. That’s because sugar can decrease the activity of neurons in your brain that secrete a neuropeptide known as orexin. The orexin in your brain is responsible for regulating processes such as sleep and hunger. The more orexin you have, the more energetic you feel. When your levels lower, so does your energy, and you start to feel fatigued. Eating sugary foods low in protein -- such as sugar plum or modern candies -- can decrease the amount of orexin cells in your brain. Eating a lot of sugar plums, therefore, could make you sleepy.
Quality Sleep
Just because you are sleepy does not mean you will have quality sleep. This is because you need balance in your diet to get you there. Eating a food high in simple sugar, like a sugar plum or modern candy, can cause a quick boost in blood sugar levels, followed by a decrease in blood sugar. Decreases in blood sugar levels releases stress hormones in your body. While you may feel tired, you may find you have trouble staying asleep.
Conclusions
You may choose to make old-fashioned sugar plums for a holiday treat, but don't expect them to function as a sleep aid. While sugar plums may make you feel sleepy if you eat enough of them, there are food choices more likely to encourage a more restful sleep. Instead of high-sugar foods such as sugar plums for a before-bedtime snack, milk, for example, would be a more logical choice. Milk's calcium encourages the production of melatonin, a substance that promotes deep slumber, and its tryptophan leads to the production of sleep-inducing serotonin.
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