Do you have trouble getting a good night's sleep?
A night of peaceful, deep, and quality sleep is a blessing that only the sleep-deprived and insomniacs can truly appreciate. Getting enough restful sleep directly affects your mental and physical health. That's why skimping on sleep can take a serious toll on your daytime energy, productivity, emotional balance, and even lead to weight gain.
Getting a good night’s sleep may seem like an impossible goal when you’re wide awake at 3 a.m., but you have much more control over the quality of your sleep than you probably realize. Unhealthy eating habits and food choices can leave you tossing and turning at night and adversely affect your mood, brain and heart health, immune system, creativity, vitality, and waistline.
To have not just one, but plenty of your nights filled with quality rest and rejuvenation, try adding a few of the following foods and drinks to your eating plan, especially if you find yourself tossing and turning in your bed at night instead of sleeping.
7 Food And Drink Options For Better Sleep
1. Chamomile:
Chamomile tea is a popular sleep-inducing tea that helps eliminate stress and anxiety. Before you go to bed, take a moment to sip a warm cup of chamomile herbal tea to relax, unwind, and de-stress.
2. Pistachios:
Pistachios are not only tasty, but they are a jackpot for sleep. They are jam-packed with magnesium, protein, and vitamin B6, which have a major role in inducing sleep. Consuming a healthy amount of pistachios before going to bed will knock you out like nothing else. You can eat them raw or add them to a glass of warm milk. However, more than one ounce of pistachios will have a reverse effect on your body; eat in moderation to avoid exacerbating your sleep issues.
3. Turkey:
Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. The protein in turkey may also contribute to its ability to promote tiredness. There is evidence that consuming moderate amounts of protein before bed is associated with better sleep quality, including less waking up throughout the night.
4. Tart Cherry Juice:
This juice contains high levels of melatonin, which is responsible for inducing sleep in your body. It can improve the quality of your sleep by regulating your body’s sleep cycles. A study conducted by Louisiana State University found that by insomniacs who drank tart cherry juice increased their sleep time by 90 minutes!
5. Bananas:
This fruit is a powerhouse of magnesium and potassium, which serve as natural sleep aids for your body. If you are feeling wide awake late into the night, try a banana to get yourself to sleep. You can even whip yourself up a thick sugar-free banana shake before you go to bed.
6. Walnuts:
Walnuts contains the amino acid tryptophan that helps induce and enhance. This amino acid is responsible for the production of melatonin and serotonin, which improve the quality of your sleep by regulating the sleep cycles. The best part about walnuts is that they contain melatonin, so they are not only helping in the production of melatonin, but they add a little more to help you fall asleep even faster.
7. Pumpkin seeds:
A cup of pumpkin seeds contains around 420 mg of magnesium, which is the daily recommendation of the National Health Institute. Magnesium is also a sleep-inducing agent for your body. If you cannot find pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds or sunflower seeds are great substitutions.
Summary
Getting enough sleep is important for your health. If you feel like the search for the elusive “good night’s sleep” is frustrating and exhausting, try some of the natural whole foods listed above to get your body on the right path to sound sleep before reaching for an over-the-counter sleep aid. Thanks to their sleep-regulating hormones and high amounts of antioxidants and nutrients, these foods and drinks may help you enjoy better sleep.
Which of the 7 foods and drinks above would you be open to eating? Let me know in the comments.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-to-help-you-sleep#section2