People who experience difficulty falling or staying asleep suffer from insomnia. Around 10 percent of the population suffers from chronic insomnia and around 50 percent experience bouts of insomnia, according to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library Home Edition. Suffering from insomnia may make a person feel tired during the day and may cause a decrease in concentration. Medications, exercise and a regular sleep schedule helps decrease insomnia. Making changes to the diet may also help treat the condition.
Limit Alcohol and Caffeine
Limiting products that stimulate the body may help a person suffering from insomnia. Caffeine and alcohol use during the day may cause a disruption in sleep during the night. Although many individuals feel drowsy after drinking alcohol, it may cause a person to experience interruptions in sleep, according to MayoClinic.com. Small amounts of caffeine during the day helps increase alertness, but caffeine intake close to bedtime may increase alertness and prevent sleep.
Avoid Large Meals and Fluids Before Bed
Eating a large meal before bed may cause difficulty when trying to get to sleep. Eating a snack during the evening will not usually interfere with sleep. Eating spicy meals may cause heartburn and keep a person awake from pain during the night. Drinking large amounts of fluids may cause a person to wake up frequently during the night to urinate. Eating and drinking large amounts may make a person feel uncomfortable when lying down to sleep.
Tryptophan
Foods containing an amino acid called tryptophan may cause and individual to feel sleepy. Foods with high levels of tryptophan include turkey, eggs, bananas and milk. Foods with carbohydrate increase the availability of tryptophan in the brain. Eating a balanced snack of tryptophan and carbohydrates such as cheese and crackers before bed may increase the possibility of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Consume Cherries
Drinking cherry juice and eating tart cherries may help regulate the sleep cycle in the body. A study found tart cherry juice reduced the severity of insomnia for older adults, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Insomnia
- MayoClinic.com: Foods that Help You Sleep: Does Warm Milk Really Work?
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Insomnia
- National Sleep Foundation: Food and Sleep
- US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Healh: Effects of a Tart Cherry Juice Beverage on the Sleep of Older Adults with Insomnia: A Pilot Study
