If you have trouble sleeping, don't pop sleeping pills. It will do you more harm than good and you'll become dependent upon them. Why not take it healthy by eating foods that will help you sleep better? These aren't just any food you find in your refrigerator but those that keep your body calm. Protein-rich foods, for example are a big no. According to a University of Cambridge study, when you eat protein-rich foods it fires up the brain cells that make you alert and energetic. Don't drink before bed either. Although it may feel as if it is lulling you to sleep, when the alcohol wears off (usually after four hours), you are left in a more active state; thus waking you up in the middle of the night. Where do you start? These sleep-inducing foods are a great way to help you sleep better.
Passion-fruit Tea
When you drink a cup of passion-fruit tea, the chemicals in it called alkaloids act in your nervous system to make you feel sleepy. High levels of alkaloids are only found in the passion-fruit flower, which is used to make tea.
Warm Milk
A glass of warm milk in the body help our muscles relax more. When the body temperature is raised, the body also slowly responds to it. Slowing body responses helps induce sleep.
Wine
One glass of wine can help you sleep because it contains melatonin. Two or more glasses may delay the start of your sleep and shorten your REM cycles.
Scottish or Irish Oatmeal
Oatmeal contains a complex carbohydrate. This triggers an increase in blood sugar, which triggers insulin production and the release of sleep-inducing chemicals in your brain. Oats contain anti-stress vitamins, melatonin, and vitamin B6.
Bananas
Bananas are a rich source of potassium and magnesium, which are known muscle relaxants. Bananas also contain an amino acid called L-tryptophan, which turns into 5-HTP in the brain. 5-HTP is converted into serotonin and melatonin, which in turn relaxes our muscles and help us get to sleep faster.
Raw Honey
Eating raw or organic honey can help you calm down and fall asleep more easily. This is because raw honey assists naturally occurring tryptophan to relax our body. The glucose in honey is known to interfere with the function of the brain cells that keep people alert; thus it makes you feel more relaxed.
Cherries
According to recent research in the European Journal of Nutrition, drinking an ounce of cherry juice twice a day, for a week, can help people sleep an extra 25 minutes. Cherries are filled with L-tryptophan, which influences your sleep cycle. Try an ounce or a cup of cherries in the morning and one more before going to bed and you'll see results in just a week.
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