Things You Should Eat To Help You Get Better Sleep

Have you recently had insomnia or perhaps noticed that on some days you aren’t able to sleep well? Your diet and lifestyle can be one of the factors, along with stress and anxiety. It may also be due to the things you eat before you sleep.

Did you know that whatever you eat at night can affect the quality of your sleep? This goes beyond avoiding caffeine and all other food and beverages that make you feel heartburn. Here are the things you should have at home that can help you get a night of better sleep:

1. Almonds

Almonds have many health benefits, and it may also help in boosting sleep quality since, like other types of nuts, it’s also a source of melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone.

It’s also a good source of magnesium. Magnesium reduces inflammation, and it helps to reduce the levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Cortisol is known to interrupt sleep; therefore, it can be beneficial if you take magnesium for sleep.

2. Complex Carbs

Carbs can raise blood sugar with a high glycemic index which can help a person to fall asleep quickly. It improves the two brain chemicals involved in sleep, such as tryptophan and serotonin.

It’s best to avoid eating snacks after dinner, especially before going to sleep. Stay away from foods that contain sugar and heavily processed foods if it’s unavoidable to stop your cravings. These can reduce your body’s serotonin levels, which can disrupt the quality of your sleep.

3. Foods That Contain Tryptophan

Tryptophan is a kind of sleep-inducing amino acid, which is found in small amounts in food that’s rich in protein. Its power to induce sleep stems from the fact that tryptophan is the precursor to sleep-inducing compounds like serotonin and melatonin.

This function of tryptophan in increasing serotonin levels is essential in improving sleep quality because low serotonin levels are also associated with a higher chance of insomnia. Due to this, it’s generally a good idea to have these food rich in tryptophan during dinner.

Here are some examples of food that contains tryptophan:

• Turkey

Are you planning to have family over for dinner? If so, turkey is a great meal to serve. Not only it’s nutritious and delicious, but it can also give you and your guests a good night’s sleep after. Turkey is also a great source of protein, and consuming a reasonable amount of protein can promote tiredness, which can help you to wake up less frequently at night.

• Warm Milk

Milk and other dairy products also contain tryptophan; as mentioned earlier, it helps to induce sleep. Warm milk is filled to the brim with four sleep-promoting compounds such as melatonin, calcium and vitamin D.

This is why warm milk is popular as a household remedy for fighting off sleeplessness. For a lot of people, this has become a part of their nighttime routine, while some switch it up with tea. Aside from its sleep-inducing compounds, low-fat warm milk is also very rich in other healthy nutrients.

• Cottage Cheese

If you’re a cheese lover, you may want to switch to a healthier option, especially at night. One of the best that you eat is cottage cheese because it can increase your body’s serotonin levels, due to having tryptophan as well. If you can’t munch on cottage cheese alone, you can pair it with sweet berries like raspberries, as these are also a rich source of melatonin.

4. Chamomile Tea

Like warm milk, chamomile is also a well-known household remedy to promote better sleep. This ability of chamomile tea to perform this purpose comes from its content of apigenin, a form of antioxidant. When this makes it inside your body, it binds with the receptors responsible for reducing insomnia, anxiety, and it helps to incite sleepiness.

Additionally, chamomile tea also has many health benefits. It boosts one’s immune system, reduces inflammation and chronic diseases.

Conclusion

After going through all the food items above, now you should make a mental note to take more of these, come dinner. Remember that a good quality of sleep is essential for your health, so you have to make sure that you prioritize this. When you suffer from poor sleep, you can feel it in your body the next day.

As the days go by and as it gets stressful, consider taking more of these food choices above. That way, you can withstand the possibility of negative factors that are affecting the quality of your sleep.