Certain foods calm your nervous system and trigger a sleep-inducing hormonal response, helping you rest better. The hormone we want to produce to bring on sleepiness is melatonin. Eating any of these 15 foods before bed may assist you in achieving a better night’s sleep.
Honey:
Add a drizzle of honey to warm milk or herbal tea a few hours before you plan
on heading to bed. That little bit of glucose lowers levels of orexin, a
neurotransmitter that raises your level of alertness.
Herbal Tea:
The tried-and-true mug of chamomile tea before you go to bed is effective for a
reason. The herb has calming effects, and drinking a warm cup of herbal tea
before bed may be just what you need to drift off to sleep.
Nuts:
A handful of nuts are a great bedtime snack because they help boost serotonin
levels in the brain and are an excellent source of magnesium and tryptophan.
Walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds contain the highest
levels of the natural sedative.
Beans:
B vitamins have long been used to treat insomnia and help alleviate stress and
anxiety. If you’re looking for a natural vitamin B complex, try beans — they
contain a nice smattering of different B vitamins like B6, niacin, and folate.
Dairy:
It’s true, that warm glass of milk your mum gave you
when you were a kid does help you sleep better. Dairy is a natural source of
sleep-inducing tryptophan, and the sugar in the dairy provides a great
carrier for the amino acid.
Bananas:
Skip the sleeping pill; reach for a banana instead. Bananas are high in
potassium, a mineral that is essential to achieving a deep night’s sleep.
Bananas also contain tryptophan and magnesium, making this fruit nature’s
little sleep wonder.
Whole Grains:
If you’re feeling a little restless before bedtime, reach for a piece of whole
grain bread.
Whole grains encourage the production of insulin, which helps neural pathways
get tryptophan — an amino acid that acts as a relaxant to the brain.
Cherry Juice:
Cherries are high in melatonin as well, and a recent study found that regularly
drinking cherry juice or eating cherries may help people with insomnia regulate
their sleep cycles for better sleep.
Yoghurt:
A small bowl of yoghurt with a few of your favorite toppings added in may be
just what you
need to fall asleep. That’s because yoghurt contains calcium, which is needed
for processing sleep-inducing tryptophan and melatonin.
Chickpeas:
Chickpeas may just be the miracle legume. Not only have chickpeas been proven
to
help you eat less, but they’re also high in vitamin B6, which plays an
important role in helping your body produce serotonin, the feel-good hormone
that boosts your mental health and helps you rest easy.
Poultry:
It’s not just turkey that contains sleep-inducing tryptophan; all poultry does.
Nibble on a piece
of chicken as this is a great food to help you sleep!
Eggs:
Eggs are also a good source of tryptophan, so have a hard-boiled egg alongside
a cup of tea or a poached egg on whole grain bread to combine the power of your
favorite sleep-inducing foods.
Grapes:
A 2006 study found that popular grape varieties used to make wine, like Merlot,
Sangiovese, and Cabernet, contain high levels of melatonin. The study tested
the actual fruit, not wine, but the researchers say that melatonin levels in
wine may be possible. Don’t take this as a good excuse to imbibe before
bedtime, since alcohol can make it harder for you to stay asleep throughout the
night.
Leafy Greens:
Leafy greens contain high levels of calcium, important for producing sleep
hormones. Craving something salty and crunchy before you go to sleep? Make some
kale chips for a nutritious, sleep-inducing snack.
Oats:
Melatonin is a hormone that helps to control the body’s sleep/wake cycle. Oats
are a natural source of melatonin. If you need a snack before bed, have a small
bowl of oatmeal or a healthy oat cookie.
All though all these foods will help you jet of to dream land, not all of them are allowed whiles on our amazing weight loss program. Only foods like Herbal teas, Yogurt, Poultry, eggs and leafy green are allowed that will help you sleep better. Sleep is also a very important factor when it comes to weight loss as lack of sleep can affect your weight loss efforts negatively. So, enjoy some of these foods before bed and get a good night’s rest. Like always we do not recommend eating anything past 8 at night. So sleep tight and see the centimeters melt away.
