7 Foods That Help You Sleep
Are you having trouble getting a good night’s sleep? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of people struggle to get enough quality sleep each night. But what if we told you that the solution to your sleepless nights could be found in something as simple as the food you eat? That’s right! By making some smart dietary choices throughout the day, you can give yourself a better shot at catching those much-needed zzzs. Here are 7 foods that will help you sleep like a baby tonight!
1. Tart Cherry Juice
This tart fruit juice is packed with melatonin, a natural hormone that helps regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Drinking 8 ounces of tart cherry juice a few hours before bedtime can help you get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer.
2. Almonds
Almonds are a great snack before bed. They are a good source of tryptophan and magnesium. Tryptophan helps your body produce serotonin and melatonin, two hormones that promote relaxation and sleep. Magnesium helps relax tense muscles and promotes peaceful sleep.
3. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile Tea has been used as a natural sleep aid for centuries. Studies suggest that chamomile tea contains flavonoid compounds that act like benzodiazepines, which are commonly used to treat insomnia and anxiety.
4. Bananas
Eating one to two bananas before bed may help you sleep. That’s because they contain lots of potassium and magnesium, two sleep-enhancing minerals. Bananas also contain tryptophan, which can help increase the production of serotonin and melatonin.
5. Oatmeal
Eating a bowl of oatmeal before bedtime can help you relax and get to sleep faster. Oatmeal is a good source of complex carbohydrates, which can help stimulate the brain’s production of serotonin, a natural sleep aid.
6. kiwi
Some researchers believe that consuming kiwi can help you sleep better. This is because they are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins C, E, and K. Kiwis also contain serotonin, which helps the body produce melatonin and regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
7. Warm Milk
Warm milk is a traditional treatment for insomnia that may actually work. Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which can encourage relaxation and sleep. The sweetness of milk also helps calm the brain, making it easier to drift off to sleep.
Article Sources
- Pigeon, W. R., Carr, M., Gorman, C., & Perlis, M. L. (2010). Effects of a tart cherry juice beverage on the sleep of older adults with insomnia: a pilot study. Journal of medicinal food, 13(3), 579–583. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20438325/
- Srivastava, J. K., Shankar, E., & Gupta, S. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular medicine reports, 3(6), 895. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
- Does Eating a Banana Before Bed Help You Sleep? – Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/banana-before-bed
- Lin, H. H., Tsai, P. S., Fang, S. C., & Liu, J. F. (2011). Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problems. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 20(2), 169–174. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21669584/
