Modern technology has provided us many useful things and has brought revolutionary changes in our lives, but at the same time, it has made our life a bit uncomfortable too. This is one of the reasons for not getting good sleep at night. Therefore, instead of depending on sleeping pills, you must try certain natural foods that can help you to get better sleep.
Sleeping pills may give you better sleep, but it will cause plenty of side effects that will make your life miserable for some time. In addition to food, you must also choose a proper mattress to get better sleep during the night. To choose the right bed, you may visit the website sleepjunkie.org.
How does food help to sleep?
Medical researchers have ascertained that there is a connection between diet and sleep pattern. Some foods release a hormone called serotonin, which creates a feel-good effect in our brain. By taking snacks that contain carbohydrate an hour before bedtime can boost serotonin levels.
Two primary sources of serotonin are amino acid and tryptophan. Though amino acids are generally found in protein-rich foods, taking an extra amount of protein-rich food can cause lowering down the tryptophan level. Therefore, it may not help you to get good quality sleep.
You also need to take carbohydrate so that your body can release insulin and it can cut the excess level of amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids. Thus, by releasing insulin in our blood, it lowers the level of excess amino acids, but not the tryptophan, and thus tryptophan can enter our brain.
We need to take a light meal with less quantity of protein, and carbohydrate-rich food, an hour before going to bed. Within an hour, serotonin level reaches our brain after taking the meal. You can try making a toast with peanut butter along with half egg, salad, and sandwich and see how you get your sleep.
Some of the food combinations for better sleep are as follows:
- You can try taking oatmeal with walnut or milk, which will be a mix of carbohydrate with protein. This combination can be taken an hour before going to bed to get good sleep.
- Yogurt is food with a unique combination of carbohydrate and protein. Therefore, try eating yogurt before going to bed to get better sleep.
- You can make hummus with some pita, which will also be a perfect combination of carbohydrates and protein that is obtained from chickpeas.
- Taking warm milk before going to bed is very useful since it has tryptophan. In addition to that, consuming warm beverages will create a soothing effect.
- Bananas contain melatonin, tryptophan, magnesium, and serotonin, which will not only relax your muscle but also help you to get good sleep. If you combine it with toast and peanut butter, then it will work much better.
- Turkey or any other poultry item is a good source of protein as well as tryptophan. You can try taking a sandwich with either chicken or turkey.
- Potatoes contain both carbohydrates as well as tryptophan and therefore if you take some snacks made of potato before going to bed can help you to get better sleep.
- Almonds are also an excellent source of tryptophan and magnesium. You can try adding almonds along with your oatmeal.
- Tart cherries also contain melatonin that is useful for getting good sleep.
