Do you have problem getting a good night’s sleep? You’re not alone. More than 100 million Americans of all ages frequently fail to get a good night’s sleep. What you eat affects how you sleep. One of the keys to a restful night’s sleep is to get your brain calmed rather than revved up. Some foods contribute to restful sleep; other foods keep you awake. Foods that help you sleep are tryptophan-containing foods.

Here are top ten bedtime foods that help you sleep:

1. Bananas. They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.
2. Glass of wine. It’s called a “nightcap” for a reason–a glass of wine really does take the edge off. University of Toronto researchers discovered that one alcoholic drink caused people’s blood vessels to relax–but two began to reverse the effects, so limit your intake. Relaxed blood vessels means lower blood pressure, slower heart rate, and greater ability to relax in general.
3. Warm milk. It’s not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan - an amino acid that has a sedative - like effect - and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there’s the psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant “relax, everything’s fine.”
4. Honey. Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.
5. Nonfat popcorn. Pop a bag half an hour before bedtime: The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. Skipping the butter-fat will slow the process of boosting those feel-good chemicals, and, as mentioned above, will also slow digestion in general.
6. Turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major building block for making serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which sends messages between nerve cells and causes feelings of sleepiness. Note that L-tryptophan doesn’t act on the brain unless you eat it on an empty stomach with no protein present, so keep some turkey in the refrigerator for 3am. Read The Full Story…
   

The right room temperature plays an important role in your sleep.

Studies have found that in general, the optimal temperature for sleep is quite cool, around 60 (15.5 C) to 68 (20 C) degrees Fahrenheit. For some, temperatures that fall too far below or above this range can lead to restlessness.

Temperatures in this range, it seems, help facilitate the decrease in core body temperature that in turn initiates sleepiness. A growing number of studies are finding that temperature regulation plays a role in many cases of chronic insomnia. Researchers have shown, for example, that insomniacs tend to have a warmer core body temperature than normal sleepers just before bed, which leads to heightened arousal and a struggle to fall asleep as the body tries to reset its internal thermostat.

Experts agree the temperature of your sleeping area and how comfortable you feel in it affect how well and how long you snooze. Why? “When you go to sleep, your set point for body temperature — the temperature your brain is trying to achieve — goes down,” says H. Craig Heller, PhD, professor of biology at Stanford University, who wrote a chapter on temperature and sleep for a medical textbook. “Think of it as the internal thermostat.” If it’s too cold, as in Roy’s case, or too hot, the body struggles to achieve this set point.

For normal sleepers, the drop in core temperature is marked by an increase in temperature in the hands and feet, as the blood vessels dilate and the body radiates heat. Studies show that for troubled sleepers, a cool room and a hot-water bottle placed at the feet, which rapidly dilates blood vessels, can push the internal thermostat to a better setting.

The relaxing music and nature sounds must be carefully chosen for their ability to aid sleep, reduce stress, and provide a relaxing atmosphere for activities such as yoga, tai-chi, and meditation.

Study:

Researchers have shown just 45 minutes of relaxing music before bedtime can make for a restful night.

The Taiwanese researchers studied the sleeping patterns of 60 elderly people with sleep problems.

They told the Journal of Advanced Nursing, how the technique was easy to learn and lacked the side-effects of other treatments.

If anyone is a bit agitated before they go to bed then anything that can help calm them down and relax is a good thing.

Professor Jim Horne, from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University

The study participants were either given a choice of music to listen to before going to sleep or nothing at all.

The music group were able to choose from six tapes that featured soft, slow music - around 60-80 beats per minute - such as jazz, folk or orchestral pieces.

Listening to music caused physical changes that aided restful sleep, including a lower heart and respiratory rate, the researchers found.

Sweet dreams

The people in the music group reported a 35% improvement in their sleep, including better and longer night-time sleep and less dysfunction during the day.

Lead author Professor Hui-Ling Lai, of the Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital and the University of Taiwan, said: “The music group reported a 26% overall improvement in the first week and this figure continued to rise as they mastered the technique of relaxing into sedative music.”

Professor Jim Horne, from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, said: “If anyone is a bit agitated before they go to bed then anything that can help calm them down and relax is a good thing.

“Some say making sure older people sleep less in the afternoon and get plenty of exposure to daylight can help them get a better night’s sleep.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/