A night of peaceful, deep and quality sleep is a blessing that only the sleep deprived and insomniacs can truly appreciate. To have not just one, but plenty of your nights filled with rest and sleep, try adding following foods to your diet, especially if you find yourself tossing and turning in your bed at night instead of sleeping.
Chamomile
Chamomile tea is a popular sleep-inducing tea that helps eliminate stress and anxiety. Before you go to bed, take a moment to sip a warm cup of chamomile herbal tea to relax, unwind and de-stress.
Pistachios
Pistachios are not only tasty, but they are a jackpot for sleep. They are jampacked with magnesium, protein, and vitamin B6, which have a major role in inducing sleep. Consuming a healthy amount of pistachios before going to bed will knock you out like nothing else. You can eat them raw or add them to a glass of warm milk. However, more than one ounce of pistachios will have a reverse effect on your body; eat in moderation to avoid exacerbating your sleep issues.
Fruits
Fruits that contain fructose can promote sleep, so before going to bed, you snack on some berries and fruits that are sweet in taste.
Tart cherry juice
This juice contains high levels of melatonin, which is responsible for inducing sleep in your body. It can improve the quality of your sleep by regulating your body’s sleep cycles. A study conducted by Louisiana State University found that by insomniacs who drank tart cherry juice increased their sleep time by 90 minutes!
Bananas
This fruit is a powerhouse of magnesium and potassium, which serve as natural sleep aids for your body. If you are feeling wide awake at late into the night, try a banana or two to get yourself to sleep. You can even whip yourself up a thick sugar-free banana shake before you go to bed.
Walnuts
Walnuts contain an amino acid called tryptophan that helps induce and enhance sleep. This amino acid is responsible for the production of melatonin and serotonin, which improve the quality of our sleep by regulating the sleep cycles. The best part about walnuts is that they contain melatonin, so they are not only helping in the production of melatonin, but they add a little more to help you fall asleep even faster.
Pumpkin seeds
A cup of pumpkin seeds contains around 420 mg of magnesium, which is the daily recommendation of the National Health Institute. Magnesium is also a sleep-inducing agent for your body. If you cannot find pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds or sunflower seeds are great substitutions.
The search for the elusive “good night’s sleep” can be frustrating and exhausting. Before you reach for an over-the-counter sleep aid, try some of the natural remedies to get your body on the right path to sound sleep!
I hope you found this helpful. Be sure to join me in my Facebook group, Fit Over 40, where I share more information, tips and recipes to help you live a happier, healthier life.
