Things You Should Eat to Help You Fall Asleep
It’s amazing how much of an impact our diet can have on sleep patterns, and with one in three American adults now suffering from lack of sleep, it’s never been more important to remind people of the value of taking steps to secure seven or eight hours of sleep per night.
Read on to discover how a bad night’s sleep can negatively affect your health and the best foods to avoid insomnia. Adding these foods to your diet will have a profound positive effect and have you counting sheep in no time.
The Impacts of Poor Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for our short-term and long-term health. In the short term, those who suffer from insomnia or periods of poor sleep can expect to feel drowsy and irritable. It affects their ability to be productive at work and maintain social relationships. Poor sleepers struggle to concentrate and find it difficult to motivate themselves.
Over a longer period, bad sleeping patterns can cause weight gain that results in obesity - which carries additional health concerns. Those having less than the recommended hours of sleep each night are at the highest risk of diabetes compared with those who sleep for 7 or 8 hours per day. There’s also a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and mood disorders.
It’s daunting, but don’t panic. There are plenty of foods available that can help you fall asleep more easily and remain in deep sleep for longer.
Sleep-Inducing Foods
The following sleep-inducing foods are great for those who struggle with getting a good night’s sleep. Consider adding this food and drink items to your weekly diet. The more of them you combine into your food plan, the higher the chance you’ll have better sleep. Even if you try a few, you’ll immediately notice the positive results.
Chamomile Tea
Many people mistakenly have hot chocolate just before bed. While it provides a calming feeling that is helpful to our sleep needs, hot chocolate contains caffeine. This stimulant makes it difficult to fall asleep and get high-quality rest.
Chamomile tea contains apigenin, which encourages your brain to feel more sleepy. It also increases the amount of glycine in the body, relaxing your nerves and making you tired. Having just one mug of chamomile tea every evening is worth a try.
Fatty Fish
Eating salmon, mackerel or another fatty fish product just a few times a week can support your sleep pattern and get you off to the land of nod more quickly. Those who eat fatty fish a few times a week fall to sleep on average ten minutes earlier than those who don’t.
Fatty fish is a great sleep-inducing food product because it contains high levels of vitamin D.
Tart Cherry Juice
Cherries are delicious - that much we know. But did you know they are also one of the great sleep foods? It is a result of their melatonin, which promotes a good night’s sleep.
Make sure you don’t just drink any cherry juice. Sweet and tart cherries have different flavors and properties, with only the latter proven to support your sleep needs.
Warm Milk
Milk contains lots of melatonin, which is conducive to getting more REM sleep. Evidence suggests that warm milk can reduce how often you wake up during the night.
When paired with exercise, milk helps people get more hours of quality sleep - especially older adults.
White Rice
White rice is a staple of many dishes, but did you know it can support your sleep? This food item has a high glycemic index which encourages your body to promote better sleep. Eating glycemic foods before bed reduces the risk of insomnia in children and adults.
A Japanese study found that those who eat more rice have better sleep, while those who eat more noodles have a higher risk of not being able to fall asleep.
Peanut Butter
The amino acid tryptophan in peanut butter improves sleep. Peanut butter also contains a lot of protein which keeps you feeling fuller for longer; this, too, has a significant benefit to your sleep because you are less likely to wake up during the night with hunger pains.
Nuts
Nuts are important for more than just healthy sleep. Walnuts, almonds and cashews contain zinc and magnesium, which support a healthy lifestyle.
When combined with melatonin, these properties help adults who experience insomnia. Walnuts are the best of the bunch because they also contain fatty acids.