What Foods Help You Sleep?

What Foods Help You Sleep?

Research that what you eat can affect your sleep. One of the ways to a restful sleep at night is to keep the brain calm rather than agitated. 

Tryptophan, an amino acid, helps to make serotonin and melatonin which are important neurotransmitters that affect sleep. 

Tryptophan-rich foods include:

• warm milk, 
• curd, 
• chamomile tea,
• banana, 
• raisins,
• almonds and walnuts, 
• fish, 
• sesame seeds. 

Here are some tips to fall asleep:

• Indulge in stress busting activities before bed time, like listening to music, reading a book, take a warm water bath, drink a glass of warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg or a cup of chamomile or liquorice tea.
• Put a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow or behind your ears.
• Avoid caffeine -coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and nicotine (cigarettes and other tobacco products) close to bedtime 
• Eat at least 2 hours before your bedtime.Eating before bed can cause the body's metabolism to slow. The body slows down its functions at night to prepare for sleep, but consuming foods, especially those high in carbs, can make it harder to digest and also results in weight gain.
• Don't exercise close to your bedtime. Exercise raises your body temperature, speeds up your heart rate, and stimulates your nervous system. Intense exercise done too close to bed lead to interrupted sleep in some people. 
• Try some breathing exercise-alternate nostril breathing is known to help
• Keep the room temperature between 15C-20C if possible. This is supposed to be the optimal temperature for sleeping.
• Avoid looking at screens/gadgets just before bedtime. The blue light that’s emitted from these screens can delay the release of sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin. It is also said to increase alertness and delay sleep.

Sweta Uchil

Online Indian Dietitian

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

By popular demand, we are NOW OFFERING ONLINE DIET CONSULTATIONS: Customized Indian Diet Plans

Indian Weight Loss Diet, Indian Diabetic Diets, Indian Diets for PCOS, Indian Low Carb Diets and many more diets at our brand new website: JOIN NOW
MY INDIAN DIETITIAN: www.myindiandietitian.com