Tell me, which foods will help me sleep better?

As we get closer and closer to the crazy season, getting enough sleep, I find, gets harder and harder. That is why this month I’m focusing my blogs on getting better sleep. With my first blog, I discussed some food areas that might stop you from getting good sleep (protein, time of eating, sugar and of course alcohol). You can read the full blog here.

This week I’m turning the tables and would like to introduce you to some foods (and drinks) that will help your body relax into sleep. Who knew these foods were so good at helping you get that critical good quality sleep!

Give some of these a go. Remember, consistency is key. Build some of these into your evening routine and watch for a difference. Here goes!

Almonds

Grab a small handful, as these little nuts are one of the best plant-food sources of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that tells your body it’s sleep time! Almonds are also a great source of magnesium which helps with muscle relaxation and again the production of melatonin. So add a handful of almonds to your meal or after your meal and as I said in my previous blog, ensure you eat them 3 hours before heading to bed.

Walnuts

Another nutrient dense nut. Walnuts are a great source of melatonin and magnesium too. The extra punch this nut has is serotonin. This is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that helps regulate your sleep/wake cycles and so is crucial in helping you get good quality sleep.

Kiwifruit

This gem of a fruit can be overlooked as a help for good sleep. Along with other vitamins and nutrients, it contains folate which helps in the synthesis of serotonin. Researchers have found that a deficiency in folate does lead to sleep troubles. So give the kiwifruit a go!

Tart Cherry Juice

Now this packs a real punch. Studies have shown that drinking Tart Cherry Juice has the potential to increase your sleep by over an hour and improve the quality of your sleep. It too is packed with magnesium and melatonin and to add to this, it contains a good deal of potassium. Potassium is believed to help you stay asleep through the night. Watch out for this weeks Foodie Friday where I will give you a great bed time tonic recipe using Tart Cherry Juice. I use this to help me get some great sleep!

Leafy Greens

Well if you have sleep issues, here is another reason why you need to eat your greens! Particularly those high in calcium like kale, spinach and mustard greens. Calcium is normally associated with bone health but it does also work with other nutrients in your body to help with sleep. Research does show it helps support REM sleep.

Certain types of fish

Some fish have a really good amount of Vitamin D (the sunshine hormone - called this because the best source of this vitamin is from the sun). However, fish like salmon, tuna and trout are other good sources of Vitamin D. With the Omega’s in the fish, it helps with serotonin levels as well. A deficiency in this vitamin has been linked to sleep issues.

Bananas

Bananas have a good amount of potassium and an ok amount of magnesium. Both helpful in getting and staying asleep at night. It also has a good amount of a building block called Tryptophan. This building block helps build melatonin and serotonin in the body. As you now know, both crucial in getting and staying asleep.

Herbal Teas

For me, a cup of herbal tea at night serves two purposes. I use it as a substitute for a dessert and it can help me relax towards sleep time. The two most famous herbal teas to help you sleep are chamomile and passionflower. Both great teas with sleep inducing properties. However, remember to drink these a good 3 hours before bed as you don’t want to be waking up to go to the toilet during the night.! Sort of defeats the purpose! Also, chamomile does have diuretic properties…so even more of a reason to drink it earlier in the evening! I drop a slice of fresh ginger into my chamomile tea for an extra punch...yum!

Well, there you have it, a few pro-sleep foods and drinks to try out. Give one a go at a time and see what helps you. It might also be a combination like a handful of almonds and walnuts with a cuppa for dessert?

Put the mask on you first, eat pro-sleep foods and thrive again!

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