What you eat can affect your sleep. So, our nutritional diet and the food we eat always influence our sleep. Luckily, some foods contribute to restful sleep. We call them sleeper’s foods. Sleepers are tryptophan-high containing foods, because substance tryptophan is the amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter that slows down nerve traffic so your brain isn’t so busy. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones – serotonin and melatonin – flowing.
The next 10 foods can make getting a good night’s sleep a dream come true:
1. Turkey
Turkey contains tryptophan. However, bear in mind that tryptophan is most effective when the
stomach is basically empty, not full, and when there are some carbs in the stomach, not lots of proteins. To get the most from the tryptophan in turkey, eat a slice of white turkey meat on a slice of whole-wheat bread in the middle of the evening.
2. Warm milk. It is not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan – an amino acid that has a sedative – like effect – and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. In addition, there is the psychological throwback to infancy, when a warm bottle meant, “relax, everything’s fine.” Moreover, calcium contained by milk helps the brain use tryptophan.
3. Bananas. They are practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant. Also, bananas contain magnesium which has a relaxing effect on muscles.
4. Nonfat popcorn. Pop a bag half an hour before bedtime: The carbs will make your body to create serotonin, a neuro-chemical 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.
5. Whole-wheat bread. A piece of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which
helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it’s converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs “time to sleep.”
6. Red bell peppers - Researchers at the University of Alabama fed rats 200 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day and found that it nearly stopped the secretion of cortisol, a hormone released in your body when you’re stressed. Calorie with calorie, red bell peppers give you extra vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable.
7. Chamomile tea. Chamomile tea is generally known not only for its relaxing effect, but for its sedating effect as well,. Chamomile tea’s mild sedating effect has helped many restless people fall asleep – it is the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.
8. Oatmeal. Oats are good for a good night’s sleep because they stimulate the production of melatonin – and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy – and if you have the munchies, it is filling too.
9. Potatoes. Eating a little baked potato or a small serving of mashed or roasted potatoes will clear away acids that can interfere with tryptophan amino acid.
10. 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. However, recent studies have discovered that glucose (like the one contained by honey) can stimulate the brain to reduce the quantity of orexin. Orexin is a recently discovered neurotransmitter that is connected to alertness.