What you eat and when you eat both affect the quality and length of sleep.
Eating a big meal two hours before going to bed can disrupt your sleep. Likewise, if you eat too early and too little your metabolic rate and temperature will increase instead of decrease, making it harder to drop off.
If you’re still having issues falling asleep, it may help to snack on foods that are high in tryptophan.1 Tryptophan is an amino acid that the body can’t make and is used to make serotonin, a hormone that promotes relaxation and sleepiness. To make tryptophan more effective, combine foods containing it with carbohydrate rich foods. Carbohydrates cause insulin release in your body , which diverts other amino acids from the brain. With less competition, more tryptophan can access your brain.
Foods high in tryptophan
• Raw milk or cheese (cow, goat or sheep)
• Unsweetened organic soy milk
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Beans
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Whole grains
• Fish
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
Foods high in carbohydrates*
• Bread
• Cereal (the non-sugary, no-scary-colors-added kind)
• Pasta
• Brown rice
• Potatoes
• Oatmeal
• Barley
• Bananas (also contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant)
• Dates
• Figs
*Ideally, choose whole grain options. Naturally that artificial flavors, colors and preservatives should be avoided like mosquitoes.
Be aware of caffeine’s effect on you
We all react differently to caffeine and you understand your body best. Some people are awake all night if they drink tea 5 hours before going to sleep. Others can have an espresso right before bedtime and sleep like a lamb.
Caffeine’s effect peaks within about an hour of intake. So even if you’re a regular drinker, abstain from it an hour or two before bed, as it stimulates your brain and will interfere with deep sleep. If you are sensitive to it, stick to morning coffee, avoid it entirely, try decaf or have very weak tea in the afternoon. The key is to listen to your body.
Instead of regular tea, coffee or one of many energy drinks, go for chamomile tea. It has a mildly sedative and soothing effect, in addition to having anti-bacterial properties. If you don’t like chamomile, try some other herbal tea (though chamomile is particularly effective in relaxing and calming the body).
Get the sleep you deserve by combining foods
Combine tryptophan foods with carbohydrate foods, and you’re body will happily start producing some serotonin. Don’t worry if you can’t sleep, and think about something other than needing to fall asleep. Experiment and enjoy making various snacks and dishes that send your taste buds on a little trip and your brain out to dreamland.
Here are some more super tips for getting a good night’s sleep.
For more easy tips on home remedies visit www.keytobeing.com
1 Hartmann E (1982). “Effects of L-tryptophan on sleepiness and on sleep”. Journal of psychiatric research 17 (2): 107-13. doi:10.1016/0022-3956(82)90012-7
2 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, January 26, 2005. Imperial College London study
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