A good night's sleep improves health and makes getting through the day's tasks easier and more enjoyable. Calcium consumption not only plays a key role in maintaining skeletal health but can also help ensure a deep, restful sleep. Eating low-fat, calcium-rich foods helps the brain relax, slow down and sleep.
Calcium and Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid the brain uses to make serotonin and melatonin. These two substances are neurotransmitters that slow down nerve transmissions, relaxing the brain and body and encouraging deep sleep. Calcium is necessary for the brain to convert tryptophan into melatonin, according to pediatrician and author Dr. William Sears. Dairy products, like the time-honored glass of warm milk, contain both tryptophan and calcium, making an ideal bedtime snack to get a restful night's sleep.
Calcium Channels
Calcium is a major component of bones and teeth but also plays vital roles in signaling muscles to contract. It also constricts and relaxes blood vessels and transmits nerve impulses, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Nerve cells have calcium channels that act like gates in their membranes, regulating calcium flow in and out, triggering each cell to take action. Alcohol consumption can interfere with the calcium channel operation in the thalamus, the region of the brain that controls sleep function, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Sleep is disrupted when the thalamus calcium channels cannot properly operate to produce the brain waves associated with restful sleep.
Sources
To fulfill its vital functions, the body will remove calcium from bones when a deficiency exists in the blood and cells. This will help bring a good night's sleep. Food, rather than supplements, is the best source of calcium, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dairy products are not necessarily the best dietary source of calcium, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Leafy green vegetables and legumes are high in calcium, low in fat, and contain significant amounts of the magnesium, phosphorous, Vitamin K and other nutrients necessary for dietary calcium absorption.
Calcium Deposits
Calcium deposits can reduce arterial flexibility, leading to coronary artery disease, according to the Southwestern Medical Center. One extra hour of sleep each night can reduce arterial calcium deposits. Extra sleep can also reduce blood pressure, which also lowers coronary artery disease risk. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol and going to bed and rising at the same time each day can help ensure that extra healthful hour of sleep.
References
- "Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute"; Calcium; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; April 2003
- Harvard School of Public Health: Calcium and Milk, The Bottom Line
- "University of Maryland Medical Center"; Calcium; Steven D. Ehrlich NMD; March 2009
- AskDrSears: Foods That Help You Sleep
- Southwestern Medical Library: Extra Sleep May Decrease Calcium Deposits in Arteries
- Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center; New Finding About Alcohol and Sleep
