Healthy Foods For Improving Your Sleep Quality

In these modern and busy days, more and more people find themselves to contract sleeping disorders ranging from sleep deprivation to nightmares and disturbed sleep. It is also clear that how dangerous it is when you cannot sleep well and enough. It can lead to serious health problem like heart disease, diabetes, strokes, etc. Sleep problems also reflect in your aged skin, puffy and black eyes. Your work and your quality of life also suffer too.
Fortunately, sleep problems can be battled with simple home remedies. This article will mention some foods that can improve significantly your sleep quality.

1. Milk
Milk has been long known as a time-tested remedy to help you sleep. Drinking a glass of warm milk 2 hours before going to bed is the quickest way to not only provide your body with calcium, slow down the aging process but also help bring on sleep. Scientifically explained, this great benefit comes from tryptophan, a type of amino acid which is essential for your brain to produce serotonin and melatonin – also known as “wellness” hormones to promote a good, deep and stable sleep.

2. Bananas
The connection between bananas and a good night sleep was thoroughly proven by many researches. Bananas contain magnesium, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, protein and calcium. Literally these are all compounds you need to optimize a good night sleep. Magnesium helps stabilize your brain temperature and level of hormones, while potassium plays an important role to relax your muscles and nerves; B vitamins boost the production of tryptophan as well as the hormones serotonin and melatonin.  Next time when sleep eludes you, grab a banana for a night snack.

3. Honey
Honey’s natural sugar can add a spike in insulin levels in your blood which will contribute to the release of tryptophan in the brain. As mentioned before, serotonin and melatonin triggered by tryptophan can improve your quality of your sleep. It is recommended to add a teaspoon of honey into a glass of warm milk to drink before going to bed. 2 teaspoons of raw honey can also do the magic just as well. Also, not many people know that honey is one of the best treatments for black eyes.

4. Almonds
Almonds are rich in B vitamins, calcium, potassium, magnesium and other minerals. All of these compounds work harmoniously to improve your sleep, relax muscles and release two types of sleep-inducing hormones – serotonin and melatonin that you should be familiar by now. So when you struggle to fall asleep, a handful of almond can be your savior. Some almond products such as almond butter are also helpful.

5. Fish
Nearly all kinds of fish can help you fight back insomnia and fall asleep easier, especially salmons, tuna and halibut because they are filled with vitamin B6 which holds the power to aid the release to tryptophan. Therefore, it is advisory to add fish in your daily diet for its benefits.

6. Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea has been used for centuries to help people fall asleep faster and prevent nightmares. Chamomile is well-known for its calming effect, allowing for a restful sleep. So if you are battling insomnia, make sure you store a box of chamomile tea in your cupboard and drink a decent cup to help you sleep more soundly.
7. Rice
A research carried on 2000 Japanese men and women reported an interesting fact that people who have higher intake of rice are more likely to experience good sleep. Rice can spike insulin and blood sugar to your body which then boosts the production of tryptophan. If you are struggle with diabetes, you can replace white rice in daily diet with brown rice or noodle.
8. Whole-grain cereal
Whole grain cereal is a good source of complex carbohydrate and fiber which stabilize the sugar in your blood without keeping your digestive system working for long time. Whole grain cereal is also rich in magnesium and potassium that can improve sleep. Plus, you can enjoy another sleep inducer which is milk when eating cereal. Don’t eat too much of it though. A half-full bowl of whole cereal is enough to help you fall into sleep.

9. Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach are high in calcium and fiber which can be used for the brain to produce tryptophan and then melatonin later.

Above are some healthy and present-in-any-kitchen foods you can choose to eat to improve your sleep quality. To have a perfectly sound sleep, there are numerous of other tips you should combine with eating the right food, such as making your bedroom a soothing environment to sleep, exercising, avoid consuming alcohol or caffeine, etc. This article hopes to help you to have a good sleep, stay healthy and enjoy life at its fullest.