By Andy | July 26, 2010 - 5:36 am - Posted in Insomnia, Sleepy-Foods

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland of human body what is a small gland in the brain. Melatonin helps more control your sleep and wake cycles. Very small amounts of it are found in foods such as meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. You can also buy it as a supplement.

What does natural melatonin in the body?

Your body has its own internal clock that controls the natural cycle of sleep and your wakingmelatonin_tablet-300x300 Melatonin and Sleep hours. For the part you see your body controls the amount of melatonin in the body is doing. Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the mid to late evening, remain high for most of the night, and then went in the early morning hours.

Light influences how much melatonin the body produces. During the shorter days in winter, your body produce melatonin, sooner or later in the day than usual. This change may cause symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter lead depression.1

Normally, melatonin levels decline gradually with age. Some older adults make small amounts or none at all. Read The Full Story…

Anti-insomnia drugs are medicines that help people fall asleep or stay asleep. Before starting any natural remedies, consult your doctor. Chronic insomnia can itself be a symptom of another condition, such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, hot flashes, or diabetes, so it’s important to see a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping.

Here a few natural remedies that are used to treat insomnia:

- Melatonin

Melatonin is a popular remedy to help people fall asleep when the sleep/wake cycle has been disturbed; such as in shift workers or people who with jet lag.

Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body. The pineal gland in the brain makes serotonin which is then converted into melatonin at night when exposure to light decreases.

Melatonin is typically taken about 30 minutes before the desired bedtime. Some experts caution that melatonin should not be used by people with depression, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases, and other serious illness. Pregnant and nursing women should not use melatonin.

- Valerian

Valerian is an herbal extract. It is one of the leading natural supplements for managing anxiety and insomnia. Some limited findings show that valerian may reduce the time needed to fall asleep and may improve sleep quality. Unlike the benzodiazepines, most people feel no morning grogginess after taking valerian. Other findings were not as promising. They showed that when compared to a placebo, valerian didn’t relieve anxiety or insomnia any better than the placebo. Read The Full Story…

By Andy | May 31, 2010 - 3:58 am - Posted in Sleepy-Foods

Diet can play a big part in helping you drop off with ease and wake up feeling refreshed. Some foods can be great for sleep and there are others that you should try to avoid if you’re looking to get a good night’s kip…

Bedtime Snacks: a Great Alternative to Sleeping Pills

Complex carbohydrates help to boost serotonin (your body’s “feel-good” chemical) which in turn helps to promote sleep. Found in foods like wholemeal bread and wholemeal pasta.

Wholegrain foods such as brown rice, whole grains and oats not only contain complex carbohydrates but have a soothing affect on the mind and nervous system too.

Warm milky drinks, one of the oldest and best remedies for sleeplessness, work because milk is converted into serotonin in the body which helps bring on sleep. Try a mug of Horlicks about an hour before bed.

Lettuce is another old favourite for helping sleep, along with nuts and poultry which have also been found to aid good sleep. Read The Full Story…

By Andy | May 13, 2010 - 1:12 am - Posted in Sleepy-Foods

Sometimes children just need a little inspiration to try new things. With this collection of Fun Recipes for Kids to make food more fun, you encourage your kids to play with their food. How to keep children entertained when you can not send outside? Why not cook up some fun in the kitchen? These recipes may not necessarily be edible, but they are sure to please and teach you a bit of science and measurement of skills in business.fun-recipes Healthy Fun Recipes for Kids

Once your kids interested in cooking, they’ll probably want to help you cook. This is a good thing! Help make meals too often soften even picky eaters to try new foods, just because he helped do the dishes.

There are many types of cookie chocolate cookie kid until the nut cracker. Furthermore, cookie making is not really difficult. Unfortunately for some people prefer to avoid cooking and prefer to buy cookies instant they can find in any super market. However, you never know the ingredients used to make the cookies, that is why if you are expecting anything more than just the best products for your family you have to ensure that all food they eat is of high quality and healthy. So, are you ready to try some cookie recipes? Read The Full Story…

By Andy | March 1, 2010 - 4:08 am - Posted in Sleepy-Foods

Do you have problem with sleep, or toss and turn in the middle of the night by night? Awaken early, or find yourself not feeling rejuvenated in the morning? You are not alone: many people kick with falling and staying asleep.

What does food have to do with sleep? Our nutritional status and the food we eat always influence our sleep. Luckily, some foods actively aid falling asleep and staying asleep.

They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing.


Sleep inducing foods is:

- Cherries

Fresh and dried cherries are one of the only natural food sources of melatonin, the chemical that controls the body’s internal clock to regulate sleep.

- Oatmeal

Oatmeal has an old reputation as being one of the healthiest foods you can eat for a lot of reasons. Again most people don’t know that oatmeal can actually help promote sleep.

- 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.

- Warm milk

Like bananas, milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which turns to 5-HTP and releases relaxing serotonin. It’s also high in calcium, which promotes sleep.

- Honey.

Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tellshoney Foods that can help you sleep well your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.

- Turkey.

Turkey contains tryptophan. 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. Read The Full Story…

By Andy | January 6, 2010 - 1:37 am - Posted in Sleepy-Foods

Do you have problem falling asleep, or toss and turn in the middle of the every night ? Awaken very early, or find yourself not feeling rejuvenated in the morning? You are not alone: many people struggle with falling and staying asleep.

What does food have to do with sleep? Our nutritional status and the food we eat always influence our sleep. Luckily, some foods actively aid falling asleep and staying asleep.

They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing.

The following foods containing trytophan that aid sleep are:


- Milk and cheese (dairy foods). Your mother was right after all to give you a cup of warm milk-foods-to-help-you-sleep-150x150 Foods for Sleep : 7 Top Foods to Help You Sleep Bettermilk before sending you off to bed. Cheese like Cheddar, Gruyere and Swiss are especially rich in tryptophan

- Turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan. 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.

- Oatmeal and cherries both contain a substance called melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body that regulates sleep. So adding additional melatonin on top of what you naturally produce seems to help many people sleep well.

- Bananas. They are practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing bananas-foods-to-help-you-sleep-150x150 Foods for Sleep : 7 Top Foods to Help You Sleep Bettermelatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant. Bananas will also contribute to release tryptophan and serotonin. Read The Full Story…

By Andy | November 23, 2009 - 6:52 am - Posted in Insomnia, Sleep Therapy, Sleepy-Foods

If you’re having trouble getting shuteye, natural sleep aids may be able to rescue you from sleepless nights. Here, the most popular options that can help you rest.

Before starting any natural remedies, consult your doctor. Chronic insomnia can itself be a symptom of another condition, such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, hot flashes, or diabetes, so it’s important to see a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping.

Here are simple, natural foods to help insomniacs sleep better:

- Chamomile. A cup of chamomile tea before bed could set you up for a successful night of sleep. The drink should help you feel calmer, relaxed and ready for bed. It can also be taken as a tincture or extract.

- Valerian. Valerian is a root that has long been used as an herbal sleep aid. It has a characteristic smell, like old socks, which comes from isovaleric acid. Valerian can be used to help occasional sleeplessness, but is also particularly helpful taken long-term. Many studies have shown valerian root to be an extremely safe and effective way to promote sleep. Patients who take valerian report that they feel less anxious and nervous, and have better rest at night.

- Kava. Kava is an anti-anxiety herb that may be helpful for anxiety-related insomnia. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advisory to consumers about the potential risk of severe liver injury resulting from the use of dietary supplements containing kava.

- Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that the body produces at night. It is sometimes called the “sleep hormone” because it is so important to healthy sleep. People who are blind, who suffer from jet lag, or who live in places with extended sunlight hours may have trouble sleeping because their bodies do not produce enough melatonin.

- Vitamins. Take a combo of magnesium and calcium before bed. Each has been proven to assist sleep effort independently, but they are even more effective when taken together.

Relaxation Techniques to help insomniacs sleep better:


Relaxation techniques are one of the most effective ways to increase sleep time, fall asleep faster, and feel more rested in the morning. They require a minimum of 20 minutes before going to bed. There are many different techniques: Read The Full Story…

By Andy | November 13, 2009 - 3:27 am - Posted in Sleepy-Foods

milk-150x150 10 Perfect Foods for a Good Sleepbananas1-150x150 10 Perfect Foods for a Good SleepDo 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…
By Andy | October 26, 2009 - 6:18 am - Posted in Sleepy-Foods

According to professional herbalists not only herbal tea can naturally relieve insomnia but also correct the imbalances within the body that cause those symptoms. The herb that constitutes a major percentage of herbal tea contains a variety of active constituents and has a main action and several subsidiary actions, which determine the conditions for which it is most appropriate. Some common natural herbs like hops and valerian are effective in relaxing the nervous system for a natural and restorative sleep. In many other forms of herbal tea sleep inducing capacity, which is very much effective in the treatment of insomnia. Studies have shown that it not only helps in bringing a restful sleep without morning sleepiness but also is also extremely beneficial effect among poor or irregular sleepers, particularly women, and in people having difficulty in falling asleep. Herbal tea also makes a pleasant-tasting tea that helps to calm the body and relax the mind to promote a deep restful sleep. Other than these qualities some specific varieties have excellent natural flavor and acts as a supplement to maintain calm and mental equilibrium, and to soothe the nerve system for better sleep quality.

Herbs act as gentle cleansers and purifiers of toxins in our body. They have detoxicating and anti-inflammatory effects. Strong antioxidants in herbs cleanse the colon and stimulate the blood circulation in our body. Improved blood circulation in turn regularizes sleep patterns. Therefore, drinking tea made from the combination of herbs will help you unwind and deal with your insomnia.

Herbal Teas that would help you manage your insomnia:

Calm tea: A relaxing blend of Chamomile Flower, Peppermint Leaf, Catnip Leaf, Strawberry Leaf, sleep-tea-300x225 Herbal Tea Solutions for Sleeping InsomniaLinden Leaf and Flowers, Passion Flower Herb, Skullcap, Licorice Root and Valerian Root will help you reduce stress. This combination also reduces mucous and muscle cramps.

Digestive Tea: A combination of soothing herbs like Peppermint, Papaya Leaf, Hibiscus, Mint helps digestion and is good for heartburn, indigestion, circulatory problems, and nausea. The blend specially helps for gas, diarrhea and ulcers. Improving your digestive system by taking this tea will help reduce stress and therefore control the insomniac symptom.

Sleepy Tea: A combination of Valerian root and Chamomile flowers is the right combination for relaxing moments before bed. It helps in relieving stress and anxiety, indigestion, and insomnia.

How to prepare herbal tea:

Boil desired amount of water in a stainless steel pot. When the water boils turn the heat off. Now add the herbs in an infuser, muslin bag or tea ball. For a single cup of tea add one to two teaspoons of herbs. Allow the herbs to infuse for up to five minutes and then mix it with lemon and organic honey or Stevia. Drink three to four cups of this herbal tea everyday and observe the considerable changes in your insomnia symptoms

By Andy | July 28, 2009 - 5:53 am - Posted in Sleep Habits, Sleepy-Foods

Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep?

Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these foods. These foods really can make you sleepy. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing. Yawning yet?

Bedtime foods that help you sleep:

  • 1 -Bananas. They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of10 Sleepy-Foods Who Tell You “Good Night” soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.
  • 2 - 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.”
  • 3 - 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.
  • 4 - Oatmeal. Oats are a rich source of sleep - inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy - plus if you’ve got the munchies, it’s filling too. Read The Full Story…