What you eat and drink can have a significant impact on your ability to fall asleep and receive a good night of quality of sleep. Although it is common knowledge to stay away from caffeine before going to bed, certain foods and beverages may actually promote a good night's sleep.
Dairy
Sipping a mug of warm milk before going to bed isn't just an old wive's tale. In fact, dairy contains the amino acid, tryptophan, which is a precursor to the relaxation neurotransmitters, serotonin and melatonin. By eating foods high in tryptophan, your brain produces more of these sleep-inducing substances.
In addition, dairy contains calcium, which the brain also uses as it converts tryptophan to melatonin. This makes dairy one of the most popular go-to foods when trying to give sleep a boost.
Examples of dairy bedtime snacks are hot chamomile tea made with warm milk, cottage cheese or a small serving of cheese.
Whole Grains
Foods high in carbohydrates make ideal sleep-inducing choices. Bedtime snacks that just contain refined carbohydrates such as simple sugars and processed flours are likely to keep the brain awake as they provide an energy surge of blood sugar to your body.
On the other hand, whole grains with their abundance of complex carbohydrates are responsible for not just keeping blood sugars steady but also promoting the release of the sleep-enhancing neurotransmitter, serotonin.
You can really boost your ability to get a good night's rest by pairing a complex carbohydrate such as whole grain with the sleep-enhancing effects of dairy. Try a bowl of whole grain cereal with skim or reduced-fat milk, a few whole grain crackers with cheese, a rice cake topped with part-skim ricotta cheese or some oatmeal with a few splashes of soy or cow's milk.
Tart Cherries
Tart cherries can help to promote sleep because they contain ample amounts of the neurotransmitter, melatonin. As the night starts to approach, melatonin levels start to rise. Melatonin is the body's special way of preparing us for sleep because it plays an important role in regulating circadian rhythms, or the body's internal clock that alerts us when we should sleep and we should be awake.
Tart cherries, most specifically Montmorency cherries, which account for most of the tart cherries grown and consumed in the United States, contain ample amounts of melatonin. In fact, the University of Texas Health Science Center found that tart cherries are a significant source of melatonin.
Try a small diluted amount of tart cherry juice, spread a spoonful of tart cherry preserves on a piece of whole grain toast or snack on a handful of dried tart cherries before bedtime as a way to receive the sleep-promoting effects of this fruit.
Although melatonin can come in a supplement form, it is important to speak with your doctor before taking any such product, as it may produce side effects and interact with other medications.
