Foods That Help You Sleep

Posted by admin

July 9, 2012

Getting a good night’s sleep makes your work day (or school day) go so much better. If you have difficulty sleeping, you already know how tough staying alert during the day can be. But did you know that sleep is also important for your health? People who have chronic sleep loss are also at a higher risk of being obese, having heart disease, diabetes and kids with ADHD often have sleep disorders.

If you don’t get enough sleep at night, you might rely on caffeine to keep you awake during the day. Drinking a cup or two of coffee in the morning is fine, but you’re drinking more than that, you may need to cut back, especially if you’re drinking a lot of that coffee in the afternoon. Quitting the caffeine habit isn’t easy or comfortable. Many people suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, drowsiness, flu-like feelings, irritability and lack of concentration when they give up caffeine cold turkey. You can avoid those symptoms by gradually withdrawing. Try blending decaffeinated coffee with regular coffee. Increase the amount of decaf over a few weeks time.

The relationship between your diet and good sleep doesn’t end with caffeine. There are several other ways to use foods to help you sleep better.

Avoid heavy or spicy foods. Or any foods you know that may cause heartburn, making it difficult for you to sleep at night.

Don’t drink too much alcohol. Although alcohol may make you drowsie, over-consumption of your favorite adult beverages may cause a very restless uncomfortable night.

Eat cherries. Not only are they rich in vitamins, cherries contain melatonin, a substance also found in the human body that helps regulate sleep. Eating fresh or dried cherries before you go to bed at night may help you sleep better:

Enjoy a light bedtime snack. Choose carbohydrates and dairy products, like a small bowl of whole grain cereal and non-fat milk. Carbohydrates make it easier to fall asleep and dairy products contain tryptophan, which may also help. Other foods that contain tryptophan include bananas, oats, and honey.

Avoid eating excessive fats. People who eat a lot of fatty foods may also have more difficulty sleeping. Be sure to get enough omega-3 fatty acids each day, however, because eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA – one type of omega-3 found in fish, especially tuna, salmon and trout) has a role in sleep induction in your brain.

General

If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.