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Trouble Sleeping? 6 Foods to Help You Get Your Zzzs
The Best Foods to Help You Sleep
Ever have trouble sleeping? You toss and turn, and wake up feeling tired. You wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep. Or you try to call it a night, but you’re wide awake. You’re not alone.
You should get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night before best health. If that’s not happening on a regular basis, it can have an impact on your health. And if you’re always tired, it’s going to have an impact on your mood and other areas of your life, too.
Simple things can help improve your sleep habits, like:
- Develop a bedtime routine
- Go to bed at the same time every night, even on weekends
- Turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bed
- Make it a habit to do something relaxing before bed. Take a bath. Read a book. Listen to calming music.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.
There’s at least one more thing you can do to help you get your Zzzs. Eat the right foods. High-carb meals and spicy foods before bed can keep your digestive system active for hours, keeping you awake. But there are some foods that can help promote sleep.
1. Turkey
Ever wonder why you’re sleeping after eating Thanksgiving dinner? It’s probably the turkey. Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan which helps promote sleep by boosting levels of serotonin and melatonin in the brain. Try one of these meals for dinner:
- Roast Turkey Breast with Gravy, Sweet Potato Hash & Green Beans with Cranberries
- Roast Turkey Pizzaiola & Rice Pilaf
- Roast Turkey Breast with Gravy, Sweet Potato Hash & Green Beans with Cranberries
- Roast Turkey with Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans
2. Warm milk
It’s been recommended to help promote sleep for decades. And it’s not just an urban legend. Milk contains tryptophan in small amounts. Warming it up provides a comfort effect to help promote sleep.
3. Chamomile tea
Another warm-drink option to help you get to sleep at night is chamomile tea. It contains ingredients that can help reduce stress and anxiety. And those happen to be common reasons people have trouble sleeping.
4. Leafy-green vegetables
Did you know leafy-green vegetables like broccoli, kale, spinach, and collard greens are high in calcium? If you’re not eating enough of them, you could have a calcium deficiency. And some research suggests low calcium levels may be linked to poor sleep. Good news, you’ll find lots of meals on the MagicKitchen.com menu with leafy-green vegetables.
5. Walnuts
Need a little help getting to sleep? Try a small handful of walnuts. Why? Walnuts contain tryptophan and melatonin that tell your brain it’s time to go to sleep., which both help calm the brain to promote sleep.
6. Salmon
Here’s another good dinner option to help you go to sleep...fish. Salmon, cod, tuna, and halibut contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. These types of fish are also high in vitamin B6. And your body uses it to produce melatonin. Try these salmon meals:
