Today many people suffer from lack of sleep. For some this is by choice but for many other people it is very hard to fall asleep at night. Lack of sleep causes people many problems in their daily lives. Fortunately this can be very easily fixed by altering your diet to one that helps you sleep when you need to, and stay awake during the day. The following post should help you learn how to get the nutrients you need to fall asleep.
Having some dairy products (milk, yoghurt etc.) can enhance your sleep. Calcium can lower your stress level as well as in stabilize your nerve fibers. Having a banana can help you to get a quality sleep, because banana is a great supplier of potassium as well as magnesium which will assist you to relieve your stressed muscles. Green tea is a rich supplier of theanine, which can help you get to sleep. Experts have also revealed that almonds are a rich supplier of magnesium, which boosts your sleep because it aids in muscle relaxation. Almonds are also a great source of protein and while you are sleeping they are able to keep your blood sugar level steady. Amino acids (found in protein) can enhance the manufacturing of melatonin in the body which can help to get a good night sleep. It is also believed that a bowl of hot oatmeal can help you to get to sleep. It’s a great supplier of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium etc., which will fulfill your nutritional desire so your body can rest. Consuming cherry juice (especially tart cherries) can help people suffering from sleep insomnia. Foods which are a great source of complex carbohydrates which can enhance the access of tryptophan in your bloodstream, which in turn helps you to get your quality sleep. So having a cereal just before going to bed can help.
Some of these tips are new discoveries and scientists and doctors are still working to understand the effects. However most of them are easily proven, just not taught to most people in school. A combination of healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle can seriously improve sleeping patterns. Personally I am not a huge fan of all of the foods listed above but I do like some of them, and it doesn't take much to make a difference.
This video has some other great information on what to eat to help you sleep:
These websites also have some useful tips to getting the nutrients you need to fall asleep:
This website has tips for mothers of babies who are tired but these foods will help anyone get to sleep:
Jack thank for the last link. I wish I would've had this information when my son was a baby! Trytophan seems to be the 'SuperMan' of amino acids when it comes to sleep. Any thoughts on if it is essential or non-essential? Try to answer with your own hypothesis and then google it. lol
ReplyDeleteI also thought this was pretty intersting: Whole grains also contain B vitamins which also help tryptophan convert to serotonin. What is the significance of this statement?
This is very interesting. I know some people that drink a glass of milk before they go to bed, so now I know why. I would be interested in knowing how some of these foods compare to over-the-counter drugs like Z-quil. It would be fascinating to see if it is more or less efficient than the foods you mentioned. I would also want to know which foods you should not consume before going to bed. Everyone is aware of the fact that caffeine keeps you up, but I wonder if there are foods without caffeine that have the same effect.
ReplyDeleteMs. Lane, I was not sure at first but i found out that trytophan is an essential amino acid for human adults (among 10 others) because it cannot be synthesized in the body; it must be consumed in the diet. Also at first i just read that statement online but I did some research and learned why this is true. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is found in the small intestine. Among many functions, it regulates sleep in humans. Trytophan Hydroxylase can create serotonin and some B vitamins aid in this reaction.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, that is a good question. I know that it is actually not good to eat anything that would be difficult for your body to digest soon before bed. This is because it is much harder for your body to rest if it is active digesting a big piece of greasy, salty, pizza.
Wow, drinking milk can help an individual get a goodnight sleep & relieve stress at the same time! Man, that's a plus! I'm definitely going to start drinking milk before I go to sleep .. I need it, we all need it especially because we're in IB. Thanks soo much!
ReplyDelete