Having Trouble Sleeping? Try These Sleep Inducing Foods

Having Trouble Sleeping? Try These Sleep Inducing Foods

People tend to blame work stress and blue light from their device for a crummy night of sleep and tossing, turning on their beds. What people tend to neglect is their diet, which can be a major sleep disruptor. What you choose to snack on during your bedtime plays a major role in your sleep quality. We are here to help you choose the best foods to help you sleep.

Some foods are very energizing, while other aggravate indigestions, heartburn, and acid reflux. Eating such foods during bedtime can keep you awake or disrupt your sleep. If you can’t decide on which type of foods to cut back and what foods to include to help you sleep, then you are in the right place.

Let’s check out the list of Best Foods to Help You Sleep.

Kale

Are you getting poor sleep lately? Then Kale should be a must-have in your diet.  Eat more green leafy vegetables with your dinner. These are rich in fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics, keeping the gut and colon clean. Kale is also rich in calcium, which is a must in sleep-inducing foods. Opt to eat them raw to retain the Vitamin C content.  

Note:- Make sure to eat green leafy vegetables at least 3-4 hours before bedtime because they contain slow-digesting fiber.

Sweet Potato

These are the perfect food for good sleep, as long as it is not fried. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin B6, which boosts mood and increases melatonin production, making you feel sleepy and relaxed. Also, these are very fibrous and keep you full the whole night. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the ultimate comfort food for people of all ages. This soothing food is a perfect bedtime snack. It calms down the nervous system, relaxes the whole body, and is easy to digest. Keep the sodium content low; too much sodium can disrupt sleep.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish is one of the best foods to help you sleep. Eating a fulfilling fatty fish dinner is great for a good night’s rest. Fatty fishes like salmon, sardines, and herring are rich in Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients are important for serotonin regulation and inducing sleep. 

Kiwi

Are you having trouble sleeping at night? Then starts consuming kiwifruits 1 hour before your bedtime consistently for a few days. Kiwi is one of the natural sleep-inducing foods. These are not only rich in carotenoids, antioxidants, Vitamin C, E, and Serotonin (a sleep hormone). Kiwi is also rich in folate and can help in treating insomnia, which is majorly caused by folate deficiency. 

Skim Milk and Cereal

Cereal and skim milk make a very healthy breakfast option; however, it is a perfect bedtime snack when skim milk is paired with low-sugar cereal. Milk contains tryptophan, a type of amino acid, and a sleep-inducing agent.

Note- Avoid high-fat milk as it takes longer to digest and will keep you awake for a longer time.

Cherries

If you are on the lookout for the best foods to help you sleep, then make sure to add cherries to your list. Sleep is essential for the proper working of the body and recovery of muscle breakdown, and cherries work really well in this case.  A study by the European Journal of Nutrition presents that people who consume tart cherry juice sleep soundly and longer. Cherries have a melatonin content, which is a natural producer of the sleep-inducing hormone. A cup of cherries as a dessert will keep you well maintained and improve your snooze process.

Bananas 

Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium, potassium and help in muscle relaxation. Magnesium is known to have a positive effect on sleep quality, especially in people with sleep disorders. Bananas also contain tryptophan, which is a sleep-regulating and calming hormones like melatonin and serotonin. 

Almonds

Almonds are also among the best foods to help you sleep. These are a rich source of magnesium and calcium. Almonds should be a staple in every person’s diet—magnesium and calcium help to calm the body and relax muscles. Calcium helps the brain to convert amino acid tryptophan into melatonin. This is one of the reasons why dairy products make you feel sleepy.

Spinach

Another very versatile leafy green that can be counted among the foods that make you sleepy. Spinach is the best friend of an insomniac. It is loaded with magnesium, folate, tryptophan, Vitamin C, and B6, which are all the main elements in synthesizing serotonin and melatonin.

Spinach is also rich in glutamine, an amino acid that stimulates the body and helps to get rid of all the cellular toxins that disturb sleep. The best way to consume spinach is by eating it raw in salads and sandwiches. The heat from the flame breaks down the Vitamins and glutamine. Combine it with almond milk and banana to make a perfect bedtime snack. 

Hop Tea

Legends say that when the workers gathered hops to brew the beer, they kept falling asleep during the work hours. Soon people realized that hop has sedative property and began using it to make teas for a good night’s sleep. According to researchers, there is a presence of bitter resins in the leaves, which is the main reason behind its sedative properties. Similar to melatonin, hop increases neurotransmitter activities, which helps to fight anxiety.  Hops are being used to aid sleep for centuries; however, it works best when combined with Valerian tea.

Whole-Grain Toast and Peanut Butter

Whole grains contain grain germ, which is usually removed when refining whole wheat grains into white flour. The wheat germs include Vitamin B like B6 and folate, which are essential micronutrients for the absorption of tryptophan and magnesium. Pair whole grain bread with peanut butter(it contains tryptophan) to sleep soundly.

Cottage Cheese

Going to bed with an empty stomach does not help in weight loss; instead, it will disrupt your sleep. When you plan on skipping dinner, have a little cottage cheese instead of going to bed with a rumbling belly. Cottage cheese is rich in tryptophan and casein protein, a slow releasing milk protein that will keep you full throughout the night.mix the cottage cheese with hummus and enjoy your savory spread can get even guacamole instead of hummus and benefits from its muscle relaxing properties.

Passionflower Tea

There is nothing a tea cannot solve, at least when it comes to sleepiness.  Herbal teas are one of the best foods to help you sleep. Herbal teas naturally have a sedative effect on the body because of their flavonoids, flavones, and resins. Passionflower tea contains chrysin (a flavone), which has amazing anti-anxiety properties and works as a mild sedative. It helps in calming the nervousness and works as sleep-inducing food.

Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm is another relaxing herbal tea. This tangy tea works as a natural sedative and helps to reduce sleep disorder levels. Drink this tea in the evening to calm your muscles and induce sleep. 

Valerian Tea

Valerian is a herb that is used as a mild sedative and is famous among tea enthusiasts. Most researchers present that Valerian tea improves the quality of sleep and stimulates the brain into a sleep mode.

Worst Foods For Sleep:

Here is a list of sneaky foods that ruin your good night’s sleep.

Ice Cream

Foods high in a sugar spike insulin levels and makes sleeping difficult. Late-night snacking on ice cream increases cortisol levels, a stress hormone that disrupts the sleeping cycle.

Grapefruit

This is a highly acidic food and can cause heartburn by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter. Grapefruit disrupts sleep due to acid reflux.

Wine

While you may think that a glass of wine will help you unwind and make you fall asleep faster, but it does the opposite of its intention. Wine prevents teh body from indulging in the REM cycle, which is essential for a restful sleep. Consuming alcohol before bed is more likely to wake you up in the middle of the night and distort the sleep quality.

Fast Foods

If you have been indulging in fatty late night snacks, then it’s time to stop! Burgers, pizza, and loaded burritos are the culprits behind your poor sleep. High-fat foods take a longer time to digest and keep the body working all night instead of relaxing. Fast food cause bloating and indigestion, thereby interfering with your sleep.  

Green Tea

We love green tea for its fat cutting properties but make sure to consume it several hours before your bedtime.  Green tea has high caffeine content, along with theophylline and theobromine, which increase heart rate and anxiety.

Read More:- HOW MUCH CALORIES DO YOU BURN WHILE SLEEPING?

Peppermint

Mint has plenty of health benefits, but inducing sleep is not one of them. Avoid popping peppermints into your mouths after dinner, as it can trigger heartburn. 

Final Words:

Eating the right and all-inclusive diet is very important for good sleep. Including foods that make you sleepy and avoiding those which distort the sleep can help you with your sleep disorders. After checking out this list of best foods for sleep you might get an idea of teh kinds of foods to avoid at night. When you make the wrong choice late-night snack, it can disturb your sleep cycle, and instead of feeling refreshed, you wake up feeling tired and lethargic. 

Shubhrata

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