Are you tired and all stressed out? Do you wish to finally get that long and restful sleep that you have always wanted? Well, you are not the only one! Many people are having a difficult time getting that much-needed sleep. That is the reason why you can find various articles teaching you how to arrange your bedroom in a way that it will be more conducive to sleep.
If you are done turning your bedroom upside down, maybe you want to learn a more effective way on how you can sleep better? Yes, there is one proven way on how you can sleep better, and that is to eat the right food at dinnertime or before bedtime.
The right diet can help you sleep better. But what are the food that you should eat? Here are 14 of them:
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1. Cherries
All types of cherries have high melatonin content. Melatonin is a type of hormone that makes the body and minds sleepy. In fact, one study showed that people who drank 8 ounces of tart cherry juice in the morning and another 8 ounces of cherry juice in the evening experienced better sleep.
But if you really want to sleep peacefully at night, it is best that you eat a cup of whole cherries for a late night snack and avoid the juice.
2. Cheese and Crackers
We grew up being taught that milk can help us sleep better. But the truth is actually not far from this old wives’ tale. The fact is that some dairy products can help make you sleepy because it is rich in calcium. This nutrient works with tryptophan in triggering the production of melatonin, which is the sleep-inducing hormone in the body. In addition to that, calcium also helps in limiting the muscle movements so you can stay relaxed all throughout the night.
3. Lettuce
Do you love having vegetable salad? If so, then you can take advantage of your favourite dish if you wish to have quality sleep. Lettuce, specifically, has lactucarium which can affect the brain and deliver sedating effect that is similar to opium.
If you wish to sleep well at night, pour a cup of water in a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Place about 3 to 4 large pieces of lettuce in the saucepan and allow it to simmer. Remove from heat then add two sprigs of mint. Sip it before you go to bed, and you can surely enjoy a good night’s sleep!
4. Fish
Certain types of fish, most especially halibut, tuna, shrimp, and cod, are high in tryptophan which can help induce sleep. However, please bear in mind that not all seafood options are healthy for you because there are some that have contaminants while others are overfished. To spare yourself the health trouble that these may bring, it is recommended that you opt for Albacore tuna from British Columbia or the US. Another good option is Pacific cod.
5. Tofu
Just like dairy products, food that contains soy are also rich in tryptophan which can help induce sleep. Since tofu is also calcium-set, it can also provide calcium that can help tryptophan trigger sleepiness.
If you can’t stand the taste and texture of firm tofu, you can use silken tofu instead. You can use this type of soft and smooth tofu in whipping up smoothies, salad dressings, dips, sauces, and puddings. This is the best way to incorporate tofu into your late night eating sessions.
6. Chamomile
We all love this for its soothing, calming and relaxing scent. But what many of you don’t know is that it has been used as a sedative and a treatment for insomnia for over decades. This is more than just an ancient treatment as it has been proven by a certain study too. An animal study showed that the effects of chamomile are almost similar to tranquillizers when it was used in mice.
Lucky for you, ready-made chamomile teas are available almost everywhere so you can easily get your hands on it whenever you need to.
7. Banana
This fruit is well recognized as a post-workout recovery snack because of its high magnesium and potassium content. In addition to that, it is also rich in vitamin B6 which is a vitamin that is essential in producing melatonin which can eventually help put you to sleep.
Sleep experts advise that you drink banana tea which they consider to be an asleep cocktail. This is because the peel of the banana contains 3x more magnesium than the fruit.
8. Oatmeal
We often think of oatmeal as a breakfast staple but did you know that it can be a great dinner option too? Yes, that’s right, and it is because whole grains contain tryptophan which the body uses to stimulate the release of serotonin which is the type of hormone that can make you feel good. It can also boost the production of melatonin that is known as the sleep hormone. So have this healthy snack a few hours before your scheduled sleep time, and you can feel that your body can start to relax and drift away.
Aside from helping you get better sleep, it can also help you maintain a regular sleep cycle.
9. Cereal
Here’s another breakfast stable that can put you to sleep. Cereal is rich in carbohydrates which contains higher tryptophan than any other food nutrients. This is the reason why we become sleepy after consuming a high-carbohydrate meal.
So take cereals as your before-bed snack but opt for whole-grain cereal and not a sugary one. Toss some milk over it so you can double your tryptophan consumption so you can become sleepier.
10. Passionfruit Tea
A research study conducted in Australia discovered that drinking this type of tea an hour before bedtime can help people to sleep better. Many experts believe that this is due to the high alkaloidal content of the tea. It is believed that Harman alkaloids can affect the nervous system in a way that it can make you feel more tired and sleepy.
11. Honey
This natural sweetener contains natural sugars that can elevate the insulin levels in the body which can facilitate easy entry of tryptophan into the brain which can make you sleepy faster.
To make the most out of the sleep benefits of this sweetener, you can add a teaspoon of it to a cup of some of the teas that are mentioned above.
12. Sweet Potatoes
This superfood is rich in nutrients, especially potassium which can relax the muscles and nervous system as well as improving your blood circulation and digestion. It is also rich in carbohydrates that can induce sleepiness.
If you are on a diet, you can try baking sweet potatoes for dinner. But if you like fries, you can cook sweet potato into fries too. Just make sure to consume only half of the sweet potato as it can already give you enough amount of carbohydrates and potassium that you need.
13. Almonds
This nut is rich in magnesium which can help you sleep better. It also has good amounts of protein that can help regulate your blood sugar levels as you sleep.
If you wish to take advantage of almond’s benefits, you can snack on a handful of almonds before you go to sleep. You can also try creating homemade almond butter and spread it on a slice of whole-grain bread for a more filling and luxurious treat.
14. Chickpeas
These beans are naturally rich in vitamin B6 which can facilitate the release of serotonin, a hormone that elevates the mood and helps manage stress. It can also help in the synthesis of melatonin which is the known sleep hormone.
If you wish to take advantage of chickpeas, it is a must that you consume chickpeas during dinnertime and not less than 3-4 hours before bedtime. This is because beans can make your stomach feel gassy which can disrupt your sleep.
In Conclusion
The right diet can do more than just help you lose weight—it can put you to sleep too! So if you want to have a good snooze tonight, try eating any of the food that is mentioned above. Rest assured, you can enjoy a long and restful sleep—the kind of sleep that you have not experienced for a while.
If you enjoyed this list, please feel free to share them with your friends and family so they can be able to read it too! I would also highly appreciate it if you would share your suggestions or questions in the comments section. I would love to hear from you there!
My name is Layla Parker, the founder of ASleepyWolf.com. At this site, our team is going to bring you a lot of reliable and useful information about sleeping and everything related to it such as the therapies that improve your sleep, the ways of sleeping you should try, all the products you use every day that affects directly to your sleep, your health, and your life.