7 Foods to Encourage a Good Night’s Sleep

You work hard (and maybe play hard, too) and at the end of the day, you want to sleep hard. It’s a simple enough equation, but one that many people don’t quite calculate on a nightly basis.

We all know that sleep is essential for good health, yet many of us have an incredibly hard time getting a healthy 8-hour dose. We limit our caffeine and liquid intakes after a certain hour, yet still toss and turn when the light goes off.

While there are a plethora of prescription and over-the-counter sleep aids, these often come with nasty side and can potentially be addictive. A much better solution is to turn to the foods we eat to help us get a good night’s sleep.

According to Russel Rosenberg, Ph.D. and CEO of the National Sleep Foundation, some foods are “sleep promoters” while others are “sleep stealers.”

Here are 7 foods you should include in your diet to promote a good night’s sleep.

Cherries

Melatonin is the chemical that helps regulate our body’s internal clock. It turns out cherries are one of the few natural foods to contain melatonin. A study found that drinking tart cherry juice resulted in improvements in both the duration and quality of sleep in adults who suffered from chronic insomnia.

You might say bada-boom bada-BING cherries are an answer to an insomniac’s prayer.

Milk

Did you have one of those grandmother’s that swore by a glass of warm milk before bed? Well, as it turns out, it may not have been an old wives’ tale after all. Like the Thanksgiving turkey that makes us sleepy, milk contains the amino acid called tryptophan, which is a precursor to the brain chemical serotonin. So, a glass of warm, or even ice cold, milk may in fact make you feel nice and sleepy.

Jasmine Rice

And speaking of tryptophan, research suggests that high-glycemic-index meals may potentially increase the production of tryptophan. High glycemic index foods are digested slowly and therefor release glucose gradually into the bloodstream. The same study found that consuming jasmine rice four hours before bed shortened the amount of time it took participants to fall asleep. So, forego the side of regular white rice and reach for some Jasmine rice instead.

Fish

According to an article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, fish such as salmon, halibut and tuna are a rich source of the vitamin B6. This vitamin is needed to make that sleep hormone melatonin. So if you want to catch some ZZZZs, catch some fish and eat them!

Kale

Research has linked calcium deficiency and insomnia. Besides dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables like kale and collards are also rich in this important mineral.

Bananas

You can add bananas to the list of foods that contain tryptophan and can help you get nice and sleepy. Bananas also contain that important vitamin B6, which will help your brain produce the sleep hormone melatonin.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are not only a good source of protein, but also of B6, helping that melatonin production right along.

If you’ve been paying attention, you should have noticed we put together a nice sleep-inducing meal. How about some grilled salmon with a side of Jasmine rice and kale and chickpea salad, followed by fruit salad for desert consisting of cherries and bananas. Oh, and a small glass of milk to wash it all down!

5 Foods That Steal Sleep

We think it’s just as important that you also know which foods can steal your sleep so you can avoid them, especially right before bed.

Coffee

We can hear the groans from here. While we won’t tell you to give up your morning cup of joe, you may want to reconsider giving up that 3pm pick-me-up. Caffeine stays in your system much longer than you realize and can negatively affect your sleep. So, if you must have coffee, have it in the morning but no later than noon to be on the safe side.

Chocolate

We can hardly speak about the effects of caffeine and not mention a food with significant amounts of it. While eating an entire chocolate bar before bed may have seemed like an innocent enough idea, chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, has quite a bit of caffeine in it. Although the amounts vary by brand, it’s best to limit your chocolate intake before bed.

Alcohol

Many people use alcohol as a sleep aid. While a glass of your favorite red can have a relaxing affect and help you fall asleep initially, alcohol actually disrupts our later stages of sleep.

Spicy Foods

You probably already know that spicy foods can contribute to heartburn, especially if you eat them and lay down soon after. The discomfort of heartburn will obviously keep you awake for hours. But it turns out spicy foods may disrupt sleep in another way. A study found that spicy foods actually raise our body temperature which disrupts our first sleep cycle.

Water

You’ve no doubt learned that hydration is important to your health. And while you should definitely make sure you drink enough water during the day, you should keep that intake limited to day hours. Consuming water right before bed is a surefire way to have your bladder awaken you at some point during the night.

Of course, one of the biggest bad guys that steals our sleep isn’t a food at all – it’s S–T–R–E–S–S! Stress can wreak havoc not only on our ability to fall and stay asleep, but it can raise our blood pressure and cause other serious health issues.

One of the best things you can do each night before bed is to R–E–L–A–X. It’s easier said than done, we know, which is why we are excited to share with you a breakthrough technology that can help relax you and even lower your blood pressure permanently in as little as 10 minutes. It’s called “Sonic Wave Relaxation Therapy” and sure, it might sound like complicated technology, but it couldn’t be simpler! Find out how Sonic Wave Relaxation Therapy can change your sleep, your health, and your life for the better!