Sleep-Inducing Foods: Food to Help You Sleep

Could you eat your way to a better night's sleep? If you're having problems sleeping at night, you might want to take a trip to your local grocery store and stock up on sleep-inducing foods. These foods will help you fall asleep and wake up well rested.

Top 10 Sleep-Inducing Foods

The following foods can make getting a good night's sleep a dream come true:
  1. Almonds: Almonds contain both tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a sedative, and magnesium, which acts as a muscle relaxant.

  2. Bananas: Bananas contains melatonin and serotonin, chemicals known to help the body sleep, as well as magnesium.

  3. Chamomile Tea: Chamomile tea's mild sedating effect has helped many restless people fall asleep.

  4. Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are bursting with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are natural mood lifters and can prepare your body and mind for sleep.

  5. Honey: Consuming too much sugar before bedtime can keep you awake. However, eating just a little glucose before hitting the sack alerts your brain to stop producing orexin, a neurotransmitter that keeps us alert. Add a little honey to your tea or milk prior to bedtime.

  6. Milk and Dairy Products: Milk and dairy products contain tryptophan and calcium, both of which help the brain effectively use tryptophan.

  7. Oatmeal: Oatmeal contains melatonin, which prepares your body for sleep. To up its effectiveness, make your oatmeal with milk and top it with a drizzle of honey.

  8. Potatoes: Eating a small baked potato or a small serving of mashed or roasted potatoes will clear your body of acids that can block the effects of tryptophan.

  9. Turkey: As many Thanksgiving diners know, turkey contains tryptophan. To get the most from the tryptophan in turkey, eat a slice of white turkey meat on a slice of whole-wheat bread in the middle of the evening.
  1. Whole-Wheat Bread: Eating a slice of whole-wheat bread will trigger your body to release insulin, which can help deliver tryptophan to your brain. Once in your brain, the tryptophan is converted to serotonin.

    To increase the sleep-inducing properties of whole-wheat bread, drizzle it with honey or wash it down with a glass of milk.

Sleep-Inducing Dinners and Desserts

To catch some Zs, try incorporating the above-listed foods into your dinner. Here are some delicious dinner options:
  • pasta tossed with butter and parmesan cheese
  • toasted turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich on whole-wheat bread
  • turkey cutlets and mashed potatoes
  • turkey salad topped with toasted almonds.

Follow up your dinner with one of these delicious and light desserts:

  • chamomile tea sweetened with honey
  • ice cream topped with toasted almonds and bananas
  • milk with a whole-wheat cookie
  • oatmeal topped with sliced bananas
  • slice of whole-wheat bread topped with peanut butter and bananas
  • yogurt topped with toasted almonds and drizzled with honey.

Remember to keep portions small, as lighter meals are more likely to provide you with a good night's sleep. Also, eat your meals early enough to give your body time to digest the food. As a general rule, allow at least three hours between dinner and bedtime.

Resources

AskDrSears.com (2006). Foods for Sleep. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from the AskDrSears.com Web site: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T042400.asp.

Yahoo!, Inc. (2007). Top 10 Foods for a Good Night's Sleep. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from the Yahoo! Food Web site: http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/746/top-10-foods-
for-a-good-night-s-sleep.