50-70 million Americans struggle with insomnia every single night. There are many ways to help improve your sleep. One way is to cut back on caffeine consumption. However, another way is to incorporate certain drinks and foods that are known to cause relaxation. Here are some of the foods that are known to help you sleep better.
Drinks and foods that are known to help you sleep better:
1. Warm milk: Calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan found in dairy to manufacture sleep-inducing melatonin.
2. Walnuts: Great source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that produces the hormones that set our sleep cycles (serotonin and melatonin).
3. Shrimp and lobster: Crustaceans like shrimp and lobster possess lots of tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin and melatonin.
4. Root vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, beets, red radishes, turnips, etc. can help you sleep soundly without waking up.
5. Passion-fruit tea: Drinking a cup before bed will induce a better sleep due to harmala alkaloids in the passionflower. Harmala alkaloid is a naturally occurring beta-carboline alkaloid that quiets the nervous system.
6. Kale and other leafy veggies: Lots of calcium which helps the brain use tryptophan to make melatonin.
7. Hummus: Chickpeas within hummus are a great source of tryptophan.
8. Honey: Even just a spoonful, could give you a more restful sleep because honey raises insulin levels and allows tryptophan to enter the brain more easily.
9. Cherry juice: Cherries boost melatonin levels.
10. Chamomile tea: Increases the glycemic index as well as acts as a mild sedative for relaxation.
11. Almonds: Recent Studies found that low magnesium levels make sleep more difficult and almonds are rich in magnesium.
12. Carbohydrates: Typically we want steady levels of blood sugar and insulin to avoid insulin resistance and mood swings, but if you’re in need of sleep, the increase of those levels from carbohydrates such as cereal will aid tryptophan into your brain and bring on drowsiness.
These are all drinks and foods to help you sleep better. By incorporating them into your diet, you may improve your sleep. t
Additionally, are you still drowsy during the day even after incorporated these Foods to Help You Sleep Better? Excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, gasping during sleep, morning headaches, night sweats are all signs of obstructive sleep apnea. Learn more about the symptoms of sleep apnea.