Did you know that a banana can help induce sleep and relaxation? By stimulating melatonin and serotonin, it improves sleep quality, and its magnesium and potassium contents act as muscle and nerve relaxants. The article today will take you through 10 common foods that can help you sleep better.

A good night’s sleep is vital for us all, it is the key to maintaining good health, both physically and emotionally. A sweet and quality sleep helps us feel renewed and allow the body to carry out different functions properly.

Many people fail to have a good sleep and often have problems at bedtime. According to the National Science Foundation, an average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day. Of these thoughts, it was found that 80% were negative and 95% were repetitive thoughts as the day before. We must therefore live on purpose by carrying out daily activities to reduce on our stress levels.

Recommended Read: Simple Exercises to Train the Mind Everyday

Lack of sleep is quite common today due multitasking, busy lifestyles, and less time to focus on feeding our bodies with the healthy foods to nourish and help us to relax and sleep better at night. The use of technology is not helping either and it has and will continue to alter sleep in different ways if we do not use it properly.

The 10 most beneficial foods to sleep well

To have a good quality sleep, it is important for the bedroom to be our unwinding zone such it is a suitable place to relax. The experts recommend keeping all kinds of technological devices that can disrupt sleep out of the bedroom. In addition, it is also advisable not to eat irritating/spicy foods before going to bed.

Various researchers have found that a good diet is key to achieving a night of good sleep and also for preventing insomnia. Some foods have properties that act on the nervous system and stimulate the release of melatonin and serotonin, related to relaxation and better sleep quality. Hence, the need to highlight those 10 foods that can help with our sleep because a better night’s sleep will boost our mental health.

In addition to trying these natural alternatives, we recommend consulting your doctor or nutritionist about the best options for you and your needs. If you have a sleep disorder, medical consultation is essential and cannot be replaced with natural remedies.

Oatmeal

Although eating oatmeal is often recommended for breakfast, it can also be eaten at other times of the day. This food is extremely healthy for the cardiovascular system and could be beneficial for people with diabetes. Its consumption could help to relax the body and make you sleep well, since it stimulates the production of melatonin.

Almonds

A handful of almonds could help you sleep peacefully without interruption. This is because almonds contain tryptophan and magnesium, two substances capable of inducing sleep.

Honey

According to popular beliefs, adding honey to milk or tea can be especially useful for better sleep. This could be true (despite insufficient evidence) since honey contains glucose, which tells the brain to decrease the function of orexin, a substance causally related to being awake.

Whole wheat bread

Whole wheat bread has vitamins B1 and B6 from whole grains. It can be combined with honey to help tryptophan travel to the brain, where it is converted to serotonin and improves sleep quality.

Cherries

One of the best ways to get a good night’s sleep is through the consumption of melatonin. Cherries, like oats and nuts, are a natural source of melatonin and can help improve sleep habits.

Herbal tea

Consuming herbal tea may be one of the best choices for falling asleep. Teas like camomile and mint have relaxing and sedative properties that help the body to rest better.

Read: 10 Way to Sleep Better Naturally

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate can be consumed both day and night. This delicious food that we like so much can help improve sleep habits. According to studies, dark chocolate stimulates the production of serotonin, a hormone that relaxes the body and mind.

Bananas

Bananas act as a natural sleeping pill. This superfood, in addition to being rich in nutrients, stimulates melatonin, and serotonin to improve sleep quality.

A banana before going to sleep gives the body a good dose of magnesium and potassium. These serve as muscle and nerve relaxants, which is key to a restful sleep.

Hot milk

Surely at some time in your life, you have consumed a good cup of hot milk before going to sleep. It is unbelievably delicious, and it also helps us to have a better sleep thanks to its tryptophan content, which is an essential amino acid which aids the production of melatonin and serotonin.

Chicken

Chicken is another food with contents of the amino acid tryptophan family, as indicated by various non-academic sources (there is not much scientific evidence on the percentage of this content) however, to increase its effects, it is usually recommended to consume together with a portion of whole wheat bread and veg/salad.

As we already said, these alternatives can help you sleep better. However, to be sure that insomnia is not due to another underline cause, medical consultation is always recommended. These 10 foods can help you sleep better but its a good idea to check with your doctor too.

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