5 foods to a better sleep
Forget what your mom told you, a glass of warm milk before bed might actually keep you up, rather than lull you to sleep. The protein in the milk will boost alertness and, unless it’s skim, the fat will slow your digestion, making your rest more disturbed. Not exactly the best shut-eye remedy.
Nothing makes it harder to fall asleep than knowing how important it is to fall asleep. So when the pressure’s on, try chowing down on one of these snacks before bedtime to ensure some serious shut-eye. These five foods to a better sleep have been shown to induce feel-good relaxation chemicals, calming your nerves and slowing your racing brain. You can thank us tomorrow morning, after a long, restful night.
Non-fat popcorn
Pop a bag half an hour before bedtime. The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. Skipping the butter-fat will speed up the process of boosting those feel-good chemicals, and, as mentioned above, will also speed up digestion in general.
Oatmeal with sliced banana
Sleep is inspired by the hormone melatonin, but stress or excitement can disrupt melatonin’s release. Bring your brain back down to earth by whipping up a bowl of instant oatmeal and topping it with a sliced banana, which is rich in melatonin.
A handful of sesame seeds
Sesame seeds are one of the best natural sources of tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino acid responsible for all of those post-Christmas dinner comas.
A 4-oz glass of unsweetened cherry juice
Cherry juice has serotonin-inducing carbohydrates, which will help relax you. Down the cherry juice an hour before bedtime, in case you feel a small jolt of energy from the sugar. There’s not enough sugar, however, to keep you up all night or destabilise your blood sugar levels.
Red bell peppers
Researchers at the University of Alabama fed mice 200 milligrammes of vitamin C twice a day and found that it nearly stopped the secretion of cortisol, a hormone released in your body when you’re stressed. Red bell peppers give you more vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable, hence less stress and more sleep.
