11
Apr

8 Foods to Help You Sleep

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that we face occasionally.  Stress is one of the many reasons resulting in poor quality of sleep. A natural solution to aid in sleeping is through fine-tuning your diet.

Generally, many foods we take in contain natural substances such as tryptophan, an amino acid that supports the growth of serotonin and melatonin hormones, which are responsible for our sleep-wake cycles.

1. Milk

A glass of warm milk helps to increase your body temperature and makes you feel naturally sleepy.

2. Chamomile Tea

Like milk, the warm temperature od chamomile tea helps you to dive into “sleepy” mode. Without caffeine, it is beneficial in helping to soothe your nervous system and condition yourself into sleep mode.

3.Whole Wheat Bread

Grab a slice of wheat toast as the carbohydrates promote the growth of tryptophan in your brain level that results in you to feel sleepy. Whole grain, in particular, helps to supply your body with numerous nutrients without a spike in body blood sugar.

4. Honey

The glucose in honey helps to lower the level of orexin, which is responsible for keeping your brain alert. Honey reverses the process and aid in cooling down your brain activity.

5. Bananas

Bananas are high in potassium, which helps to support good sleep quality. Coupled with tryptophan and magnesium which act as your natural sedatives, you will be conditioned to a sleep mode.

6. Fish

Rich in vitamin B6, the chemical found in fish helps to promote the production of melatonin, which is often produced when in the dark. Have some fish to get a head start of some melatonin in your brain to help you sleep.

7. Yoghurt

Yoghurt is rich in calcium which is crucial in processing hormones such as tryptophan and melatonin – which eventually aid in your sleep.

8. Lettuce

Taking a salad with lettuce before going off to bed is always a good idea. Not only does lettuce is rich in fibre to help you slim down, it also contains lactucarium – a milky fluid that has sedative properties to help you sleep.

Eat the right food before hitting the pillow! Have a sound sleep and sweet dreams!