It is a well-known fact that sleep is necessary for us human beings to survive. Staying awake six days in a row actually happens to be lethal. It is not the same with food as you can go for almost two weeks without eating and still manage to survive.
What’s interesting though, is that sleep and food are tightly connected, as sleep influences your appetite, and food impacts your sleeping patterns as well as the quality of your sleep.
People may experiment with various things to improve their sleep schedule, from getting a new mattress to taking CBD gel tabs and doing regular workouts for insomnia; they can choose the strategy based on their requirements. However, food can be an essential part of your life since the body’s digestive and gastric functions can disrupt your sleep.
Let’s take a look at the food that has great benefits on your sleep and how it works, so that you sleep better.
Bananas
Bananas contain magnesium and potassium. Banana is the fruit which contains the highest levels of magnesium. Magnesium is helpful when it comes to sleep in the sense that it helps you fall asleep faster and makes you stay asleep for longer. It is usually used again insomnia. On top of that, the magnesium contained in bananas helps with controlling your hormonal balance. It also enables your brain temperature to drop so that you can sleep better.
Although there is not much potassium in bananas, the quantity it contains added to the magnesium in it makes a great and effective duo when it comes to sleep, as they both help with relaxing one’s muscles and nerves, preparing the body for a good night sleep.
Cherries
It has been discovered that cherries – more specifically cherry juice – are composed of elements which help with reducing the production of chemicals that may hinder your sleep.
They also contain procyanidins and anthocyanins, two flavonoids which carry out important functions such as infections and help regulating cell growth.
Moreover, cherries also happen to be a source of melatonin, also known as the hormone responsible for sleep as it tends to regulate your sleep cycles and overall your sleep patterns.
Milk
Often, we are advised to drink a glass of milk before going to bed, in order to fall asleep fast.
First of all, milk contains tryptophan, which is an amino acid that triggers the brain to produce serotonin, a hormone that helps you relax and loosen up to prepare your body for sleep. However, this relaxation feeling that arises after drinking milk could also play an important role in the reduction of stress. We, as humans tend to take pressure about career, family, money, etc., which may develop anxiety inside us. For this reason, most of us tend to opt for professional medical help or rely on organic supplements such as ksm 66 ashwagandha, for example, which are said to have healing properties to control unwanted stress and anxiety. After all, relying on something natural always could provide a sense of satisfaction and build a more stable rapport with nature.
Besides, milk also contains calcium, which Is a mineral that is usually used in hospitals to make patients fall asleep fast.
Nevertheless, up to now, scientists are still debating over whether milk effectively puts you to sleep or not. Some studies have shown that tryptophan and serotonin didn’t work well together, but nothing has been decided yet. A glass of milk can also be helpful if acid reflux stop you from falling asleep.
Related Articles: Worst Drinks for Sleep
Herbal teas
Since many centuries, herbal teas have been used as sleep aids. It is important that you find the best ones for your sleep schedule and other types you may need to help you wake up in the morning, so it might be best to check out some quality china teas as well as look down below for the most popular ones that can help you sleep:
- Chamomile tea: usually used to tame down anxiety, chamomile tea is one of the best – if not the best – sleep inducers. It contains an antioxidant named apigenin, which reduces anxiety and relaxes both your mind and your body. Along with some soothing chamomile, you could add a few drops of CBD oil which is also said to be a great reliever of anxiety. To ensure that you use the oils in a proper way, research a bit on the 5 Best CBD Oil For Anxiety and pick one that suits you.
- Valerian tea: Just like chamomile, valerian is an herb that has been popular throughout the whole world during centuries as a natural tranquilizer. It helps soothing down anxiety and inducing one’s body to sleep. It is said that valerian tea is so effective when it comes to sleep because valerian triggers the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA, which helps your body to fall asleep.
- Lavender tea: Lavender is a flowering plant popular for its soothing fragrance. It is becoming more and more present in households, as a plant or as an essential oil, as it helps combat stress and anxiety.
Lavender can also be used as an infusion. When drunk before bed, it relaxes one’s nerves and prepares the body for sleep. - Lemon tea: Just like lavender, lemon is also known for its fragrance, and used for aromatherapy. Lemons’ leaves are dried and used for tea to diminish stress. Just like valerian tea, lemon tea also triggers the production of GABA, thus inducing sleep.
- Magnolia tea: For centuries already, magnolia has been extremely used in Asian countries, especially in China, for medical purposes. It helps with bloating and stress.
It is now used in tea as a sleep inducer. Similarly to lemon tea and valerian tea, magnolia tea increases the production of GABA in your brain, thanks to its abundant compound called honokiol, which makes you fall asleep faster.
Water
Last but not least, staying hydrated throughout the day is essential for you to sleep well at night. When your brain is well hydrated, it tends to work better and overall feel better, thus enabling you to relax and rest properly. However, you have to avoid drinking water right before going to bed as it may increase your need to urinate, which would disturb your sleeping patterns.
Eating properly is primordial for you to sleep well. But it is important to also make sure you exercise regularly and respect your sleeping schedules. If you still struggle to fall asleep despite all of your efforts, you may want to check up adjustable beds as they happen to be extremely helpful against insomnia and sleep deprivation. If you want to learn more about adjustable beds, you can take a look at our article about sleep deprivation and the benefits of adjustable beds.
You can read more sleep related tips on Bedroom Solution’s blog.
Your style is so unique in comparison to other people I have read on how food habits affect the sleep cycle. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity.