Good sleep repairs the body after a long and tiresome day. When having some good sleep, the brain recharges, the muscles repair, and give the benefit to the body. Sleep is proven to be the body’s recovery phase of the day. Therefore, you need to get enough sleep during the night to be alert for the next day’s work. Lack of enough sleep causes you to look for high-calorie foods the following day. When this situation continues for a couple of days, it eventually disrupts the sleep cycle and causes overall poor health. Sleep and food go hand in hand, so to have a better restful night, there are some small dietary changes that you can incorporate into your day. Below are some foods that can enhance your sleep at night.
#1 Turkey
Turkey contains tryptophan that helps to induce better sleep. If you have never noticed many people get too sleepy after having turkey for dinner, this is because of the presence of tryptophan. In turkey, tryptophan is present in levels that are similar to another protein but lucky enough not so high enough to knock you out after enjoying the turkey for dinner. Tryptophan works best with serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that aids in boosting your mood and producing healthy sleeping patterns. Examples of foods that contain tryptophan are tofu, salmon, and eggs. In addition to the previous examples, nuts, seeds, pineapples, and turkey are serotonin-boosting foods.
#2 Chamomile tea
Tea opposed to coffee is a better choice when it’s time to wind down yourself. Coffee does not promote sleep, but it keeps one up and awake when it is sleeping time. Tea with caffeine promotes sleepiness. The question asked by many is if they all work as the adverts say? Chamomile tea has been often used as a sleep inducer and as a natural tranquilizer. The warmth of the chamomile tea raises the body temperature to that which is comfortable to take a rest in as you relax. Sip your chamomile tea at the comfort of your purple mattress as you wind down to sleep.
#3 Bananas
Not only do bananas contain tryptophan that enhances a restful sleep at night, but bananas are also rich in potassium. Potassium is a natural muscle relaxant and an element beneficial to human health at large. Potassium plays a key role in sleep, with more of its benefits during slumber time. Has your sleep time ever been distracted by painful muscle cramps at night? If yes, then banana should always be part of your meal at night since it relieves any nighttime muscle cramp. Bananas also contain magnesium apart from potassium, which helps treat insomnia, among other sleep-related problems hence enhancing a restful night.
#4 A glass of warm milk
A warm glass of milk before retiring to bed helps you to sleep better. Mum’s advice never fails. It was a habit that most of us had when we were little kids as part of a sleep ritual. However, as we grow older, it went fading away. During early childhood years, the subconscious mind would always remind you to take a glass of warm milk before going to bed. Milk contains amino acids and tryptophan that enhance better sleep. The feelings signal to your brain that it is time to fall asleep after taking a glass of warm milk, making it easy to drift off to sleep peacefully. Additionally, some crackers and cheese taken before bed help you to nod off peacefully.
#5 Fish
Fish has a naturally occurring hormone called melatonin. After taking in fish, the hormone called melatonin gets produced in your body. Melatonin is partially responsible for regulating your sleep-wake cycle or your circadian rhythm. Melatonin is also efficient in relieving sleeping problems such as circadian disorders, insomnia, snoring, and sleep apnea, among others. Apart from naturally occurring in fish, it is available in supplement form and acclaimed as a sleep-inducing drug. Other foods examples that have naturally occurring melatonin include grapes, eggs, tomatoes, and pistachios.
