10 Food Choices for a Peaceful Night's Sleep
December 18, 2023
6 min read
Everyone loves a good night's sleep, but not all of us are blessed with the ability to close our eyes and drift off easily. Adding certain foods into our evening routine can be extremely helpful for those who need a little bit of help getting to sleep.
Why Getting a Good Night's Sleep Is Essential
Getting a good night's sleep is vital for our mental and physical health. It allows us to be alert during the day, boosts our immune system, and improves our overall well-being. Unfortunately, many of us need help with getting enough restful sleep each night.
Making healthy food choices has never been more crucial. Eating a nutrient-rich diet helps to keep our bodies functioning properly, allowing us to perform optimally throughout the day. Foods with certain qualities can also induce relaxation and provide nourishment that supports deep, restful sleep.
Top 10 Foods to Help You Sleep Better
Sleeping well is essential for maintaining good health and well-being. However, many people struggle with getting a good night's sleep. One way to improve sleep is by incorporating certain foods into your diet. Here are the top 10 foods for a better night's sleep:
1. Cherries
Sweet dreams can be yours with cherries! This superfruit is a great way to get natural, restful sleep. That's because it contains melatonin, which helps you drift off into dreamland more quickly and stay asleep longer.
Best of all—indulge your sweet tooth without relying on unhealthy snacks like desserts or sodas-just reach for some juicy cherries instead!
2. Bananas
Bananas are rich in magnesium and potassium, essential minerals that aid in muscle relaxation. They also contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid necessary for the synthesis of serotonin. This neurotransmitter is responsible for regulating sleep and promoting feelings of well-being.
Eating a banana before bedtime can help induce sleep naturally due to its high content of these helpful minerals and hormones. As a bonus, they are tasty and easy to prepare—just peel and enjoy!
3. Walnuts
Walnuts are a great snack to have before bed, as they are high in melatonin, magnesium, and tryptophan. All of these components help to encourage relaxation and deeper sleep.
Melatonin helps regulate sleep by controlling circadian rhythms, while magnesium helps relax muscles and promote restful sleep. Tryptophan is an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin and other neurotransmitters, helping to calm the brain for better sleep quality. Eating walnuts can be a great way to get all these important nutritional benefits at once!
4. Almonds
Almonds are rich in magnesium and calcium, two minerals that help reduce stress levels and promote relaxation before bedtime. They also contain Vitamin B6, which helps our bodies produce melatonin more efficiently.
They are also a good source of healthy fats that can provide lasting energy and keep you feeling full for longer, allowing for better quality sleep. By incorporating almonds into your nighttime routine, you'll be able to reap the benefits of these important nutrients and enjoy a good night's rest!
5. Milk
Milk is a great sleep-inducing drink for anyone trying to relax before bed. It contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps increase serotonin levels in the brain, which promotes feelings of relaxation. Calcium is also found in milk, and this mineral has been shown to promote deeper, more restful sleep.
Drinking a glass of warm milk prior to sleep may help you feel more relaxed and can help you fall asleep faster by aiding the natural production of melatonin from Vitamin B6, which is also present in dairy products.
By combining these benefits with other foods like walnuts and almonds, which are high in magnesium and other nutrients, you can create an effective nighttime snack that will help you get the restful sleep you need!
6. Oats
Cozy up to a warm bowl of oatmeal before you turn in for the night! This comforting snack not only helps maintain steady blood sugar levels while you sleep, but its natural serotonin content will aid in feeling rested and relaxed so you can drift off peacefully.
Oats are a great source of complex carbs that break down slowly and provide sustained energy during the night. Complex carbs also trigger insulin release, slowing down the absorption of other macronutrients, making it much easier to lull off into dreamland.
Oats also contain lots of magnesium and B vitamins which can help with nerve strength and ease muscle tension throughout the body. All these benefits combined make oatmeal the perfect nighttime snack to help you feel comfortable and relaxed as you drift off for a well-deserved restful sleep.
7. Turkey
Turkey is an excellent source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps increase the body's serotonin production. This helps regulate melatonin production—the hormone responsible for making your brain ready for sleep mode.
Eating turkey as a light snack before bedtime can help improve sleep quality by inducing drowsiness and calming your body and mind. The proteins in turkey are also slowly digested, helping you stay satiated throughout the night while also providing energy that can last up to 6-8 hours, allowing you to get a full and restful night's sleep.
So if you have leftover turkey from dinner, don't forget to enjoy it before turning it in for the night—it could be just what you need for a good night's rest!
8. Kiwi
Kiwi fruit is an excellent choice for those looking to get a good night's sleep. With high levels of vitamins C and E, as well as folate, it provides the necessary ingredients for restorative sleep. Eating kiwi about an hour before bedtime can help relax your muscles and mind so that you can drift off into a deep sleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Kiwi also contains a natural sedative-like compound that helps to dull feelings of anxiety and promotes relaxation. Therefore, if you want to get some much-needed zzz's, kiwi fruit can be a great addition to your bedtime snack routine!
9. Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea is one of the oldest and most effective natural remedies for promoting better sleep patterns. Chamomile tea is well known to have calming, soothing effects. It's thought that these benefits come from the flavonoids present in chamomile-molecules that interact with receptors in the brain and provide a soothing effect.
Enjoy a cup of chamomile tea for some relaxation before bedtime—the anti-inflammatory properties and mild floral flavor make it perfect for helping you drift off into dreamland. Whether hot or cold, this refreshing beverage is an all-natural way to ease your worries and get ready for sweet dreams!
10. Fish
Fish, such as salmon or tuna, contain Omega 3 fatty acids, which are powerful anti-inflammatory agents throughout the body. These fatty acids have the ability to decrease inflammation in the body, which can help protect against diseases such as cancer and heart conditions.
The Omega 3 fatty acids in fish also help raise dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is the feel-good neurotransmitter that plays a role in regulating mood, motivation, and overall well-being. By raising dopamine levels, Omega 3 can help decrease anxiety levels, making it easier to relax and fall asleep at night.
Sweet Dreams Are Made of These
Getting a peaceful night's sleep doesn't have to be complicated or expensive—simple dietary changes like adding these ten food choices into your daily routine can be enough to start seeing positive results!
Sure, a handful of snacks might help you drift off—but for truly restorative sleep, there's no replacing the power of good habits. Teach your body to look forward to bedtime with consistent schedules, calming evening rituals, and an ideal ambiance in the bedroom.
Don't forget that if your sleep issues persist despite trying these steps—be sure to get in touch with an expert!
