If you can’t fall asleep for a long time, toss and turn in the night and wake up because of every noise, then in the morning, you probably do not feel awake and full of energy. Sound sleep is a must, not only for efficient work and a good mood but also for the normal functioning of all body systems.
But you should not run to the pharmacy for pills for insomnia at the first disturbances in sleep. It is better to look in the fridge: probably there are some tasty and useful “sleeping” products.
What Prevents Us to Sleep Well
To begin with, let’s eliminate all external factors that may provoke sleep disorders. Make sure that the room where you sleep is well ventilated at night, it is cool enough, the air is not overheated by the heating system, electrical appliances don’t hum, and the window isn’t lit by a street lamp. You should also avoid using your phone two hours before going to bed. So it’s better to forget about gambling at https://tonybet.com/ca or reading an ebook till the morning. Then check the bed: do you have a comfortable pillow and mattress, is the bed linen pleasant to the body. If all items are in order, it’s worth looking for the cause of insomnia within.
The most common causes are stress, fatigue, overexcitement, or a change of time zones. Anything that prevents the brain and nervous system from relaxing and going into sleep mode. The disorders are related to the imbalance of hormones: when those responsible for relaxation (melatonin, serotonin, adenosine and others) are not enough, and those that stimulate the brain and other systems (cortisol, dopamine, norepinephrine) are in excess. It’s possible to influence their concentration with the help of the right products.
What Foods Help You Sleep
Eating foods high in melatonin, potassium and magnesium, which help relax the muscles, is helpful for insomnia. Here’s a list of healthy snacks shortly before bedtime that will help your body get in the mood for rest.
Bananas
A source of potassium, magnesium and tryptophan, which are needed to relax the body, relieve muscle and nervous tension and stimulate the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. For the remedy to work, it is best to eat a small banana at least one hour before bedtime. During this time, tryptophan will just reach the brain and begin its action.
Kiwi
You can safely eat a kiwi in the evening, as it has a lot of benefits and few calories. One medium kiwi fruit can cover the daily requirement of the body of vitamin C and saturate the rare vitamin K by 40%. At the same time the price of pleasure is only 50 kcal. Kiwis contain fiber and antioxidants, folic acid, potassium and other important micronutrients that contribute to the production of serotonin. This means that our brain begins to properly regulate sleep cycles, and in a good mood it is usually easier to fall asleep.
Chamomile Tea
Like other herbal drinks, chamomile tea is a natural mild sedative. It helps to reduce anxiety and restlessness, relax and calm the nerves. Chamomile tea contains an antioxidant apigenin, which interacts with the receptors in the brain that are responsible for relaxation and rest. In addition, the drink is good for the cardiovascular system, strengthens the immune system during colds, and contains antioxidants that resist free radicals. Make it a rule to drink chamomile tea in the evening, and you will see how your condition changes.
Almonds
These nuts are high in magnesium, which is needed to relax your muscles and reduce the stress hormone cortisol. They also help the body produce melatonin. Doctors and nutritionists recommend eating no more than 30 g of almonds a day, but even such a small portion brings a decent supply of vital substances: manganese (32% of the daily norm), phosphorus (14% of the norm), riboflavin (17%). Almonds contain antioxidants, fiber and healthy fatty acids. It is advisable to eat them at least three hours before going to bed, so as not to overload the body.
Walnuts
Walnuts not only contain melatonin, but also help to produce serotonin, the pleasure hormone responsible for mood and natural sleep cycles. It is also necessary to consume them in doses – from 30 to 60 grams per day. We wrote earlier about the other usefulness of walnuts and their effect on the brain.
Milk
A glass of warm milk before going to bed is a classic from childhood and really works the way to fall asleep faster. Milk contains not only calcium, but also tryptophan, which stimulates the production of melatonin. And one more stereotype product – cookies, which are often eaten in a snack with milk by the heroes of foreign movies, can, on the contrary, worsen the quality of sleep because of the high content of sugar and fats. For a sweeter sleep, add a spoonful of honey to the milk.
Honey
A healthy sweetener that may well replace sugar at an evening tea party. The amino acid tryptophan, which is contained in honey, promotes a restful sound sleep, and sugar slightly raises the level of insulin and helps it to act more effectively. Eating a lot of honey at night, of course, is not necessary. Best Way is the one teaspoon before going to bed.
Cherries and Natural Cherry Juice
Cherries are a natural source of melatonin. Eat a handful of fresh or thawed berries two hours before going to sleep and see the effect – the time of falling asleep should be noticeably shorter because the blood content of melatonin will increase. Cherry juice is also useful for insomnia. The main thing is that it should have as many cherries and as little sugar as possible. So, it’s better not to experiment with packaged juice drinks.
What Not to Eat Before Bed
In order not to toss and turn all night and get a proper sleep, give up fatty heavy food in the evening, or eat it at least 4 hours before going to bed. Fried and meat dishes, fast food, pastries and creamy desserts may give the misleading impression that you sleep better on a full stomach. This is not the case. Scientists have found that sleeping after such a meal is less beneficial.
Foods high in starch, fat, and sugar put a lot of stress on the digestive system, which makes us feel really sleepy and apathetic. But that’s not what it takes to get a healthy night’s sleep. High-calorie and fatty foods can also disturb digestion and acid production in the stomach, causing heartburn and bloating – what kind of a healthy sleep is that?
Don’t eat chocolate, cheese, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes at bedtime. These foods are rich in an amino acid called tyramine. In the body it is converted into noradrenaline, which stimulates the active work of the brain.
Traditionally, people with sleep disorders are recommended to eliminate coffee, green tea and other products containing caffeine in the evening. However, there are always those who argue that after coffee, on the contrary, sleep better. The thing is that caffeine acts differently on different organisms. Some people absorb it in an hour, while others are energized for a few hours. But in any case, if you have trouble sleeping it is worth trying to shift the consumption of favorite drinks at an earlier time – perhaps it is all the same.
Remember that healthy products can be your helpers in normalizing sleep and fighting stress, but they will not cure chronic insomnia and related diseases, and will not save you from clinical depression. If the problem is permanent, you should see a specialist – a neurologist or somnologist. And definitely don’t start taking sleeping pills and sedatives without a doctor’s prescription.