A restful nights sleep is what quite a few people struggle with and with nearly half of adults only getting 6 hours sleep, we should optimise food to help us sleep better. You may be thinking food will have little effect on how I sleep, but some foods really do wake you up or relax you. It's important to eat the correct foods at certain times.
Cherries
Tart cherries are a sauce of melatonin, a natural antioxidant which helps your body clock stay on track. Melatonin is produced naturally by the body but only in very small doses. It's important to eat tart cherries as these contain more melatonin than sweet cherries.
Milk
Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan which will help induce sleep and like the tart cherries, milk contains melatonin. If your not a fan of cows milk, then there are plenty of alternatives that will still have the same effect, coconut and nut milk will do the same job. Try heating your milk to a warm temperature as this can be known to send babies to sleep. Don’t drink just before you go to bed as you may find yourself having to get up to go to the toilet just as you're drifting off.
Bananas
With a high magnesium content, bananas are great to snack on before bed. Magnesium will help to relax your muscles and regulate your hormones. You can always try a banana smoothies which can incorporate milk and cherries. This will be a great drink to have a couple of hours before bedtime. Why not add a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of nutmeg to give it a bit more flavour.
Chamomile Tea
By far the most popular natural remedy is chamomile tea. This herb has been used since the Egyptian times to help with many problems including sleep. Like a banana, it will relax you and this tea has no caffeine! Again don’t drink this tea just before bed give it a couple of hours before you plan on sleeping.
What Not to Eat
Alcohol
Nightcaps or drinking alcohol before sleeping is fairly popular, as many people find it helps them unwind and drift off to sleep better. However, alcohol can often make you feel sluggish and tired in the mornings which isn’t the whole point of getting a good nights sleep!
Coffee and Energy Drinks
Caffeine is supposed to wake you up, so do not drink any type of coffee or energy drink before bed. Coffee and energy drinks contain high amounts of caffeine which can easily disturb your natural sleep pattern. If you want an alternative to coffee tries Capomo, which is made from Maya nut. The Maya Nut has no caffeine and is super healthy.
Cheese
Many people find if they eat cheese they tend to have nightmares, we don't fully know if this is true but, we do know cheese has a high-fat content. Food that has a high-fat content tends to have a slower digestion rate, this can sit uncomfortably in your stomach if you are lying down.
Everyone wants a good nights sleep, so why not try our banana smoothie idea and see if you find yourself drifting off quicker or just waking up less tired.