We all know that the right foods can help sustain your energy throughout the day, but did you know there are foods that help you sleep better? Here’s a list of sleep-inducing ingredients, along with some of the best natural foods to get them from:
This amino acid has long been known “in doses of 1 g or more [to produce] an increase in rated subjective sleepiness and a decrease in sleep latency (time to sleep).”1Source: Hartmann E. Effects of L-trytophan on sleepiness and on sleep. J Psychiatr Res 1982;17(2):107–13. And since we don’t make it ourselves, we have to ingest it through food. Top sources for tryptophan, according to the US Department of Agriculture, include2Source: United States Department of Agriculture. Nutrient Lists: Tryptophan(g). http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/nutrients/report?nutrient1=501&nutrient2=&nutrient3=&fg=&max=25&subset=0&offset=0&sort=c&totCount=5039&measureby=m (accessed March 5, 2015).:
Found in all dairy products, calcium combines with the tryptophan you’ve eaten to create more melatonin,3Source: Barbosa R et al. Tryptophan hydroxylase is modulated by L-type calcium channels in the rat pineal gland. Life Sci 2008;27(82):529–35. a sleep-inducing hormone that your body also produces naturally. Medline Plus suggests getting your calcium from foods like:4Source: Medline Plus. Calcium. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/calcium.html (accessed March 5, 2015).
You can also get melatonin directly by drinking tart cherry juice.5Source: Howatson G et al. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr 2012;51(8):909–16.
A high-glycemic meal (one that significantly raises your blood sugar) has been proven to help you fall asleep faster – if taken four hours before bedtime.6Source: Afaghi A, O’Connor H and Chow CM. High-glycemic-index carbohydrate meals shorten sleep onset. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85(2):426–30. Carbs help increase tryptophan levels in your blood, which is why WebMD recommends considering carb-calcium combos for evening snacks, such as “a bowl of cereal and milk, yogurt and crackers, or bread and cheese.”7Source: WebMD. Sleep foods (slide 3). http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-sleep-foods (accessed March 9, 2015). Click the pictures to advance through the slideshow.
Once asleep, one of the things that can wake us up is magnesium deficiency,8Source: Watts DL. The nutritional relationships of magnesium. J Orthom Med 1988;3(4):197–201. and it has shown to help lessen insomnia symptoms in elderly people.9Source: Abbasi B et al. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci 2012;17(12):1161–9. To avoid that, work magnesium-rich foods into your diet, such as:10Source: National Institutes of Health. Magnesium: Fact sheet for health professionals. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ (accessed March 6, 2015).
References
1 Source: Hartmann E. Effects of L-trytophan on sleepiness and on sleep. J Psychiatr Res 1982;17(2):107–13.
2 Source: United States Department of Agriculture. Nutrient Lists: Tryptophan(g). http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/nutrients/report?nutrient1=501&nutrient2=&nutrient3=&fg=&max=25&subset=0&offset=0&sort=c&totCount=5039&measureby=m (accessed March 5, 2015).
3 Source: Barbosa R et al. Tryptophan hydroxylase is modulated by L-type calcium channels in the rat pineal gland. Life Sci 2008;27(82):529–35.
4 Source: Medline Plus. Calcium. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/calcium.html (accessed March 5, 2015).
5 Source: Howatson G et al. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr 2012;51(8):909–16.
6 Source: Afaghi A, O’Connor H and Chow CM. High-glycemic-index carbohydrate meals shorten sleep onset. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85(2):426–30.
7 Source: WebMD. Sleep foods (slide 3). http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-sleep-foods (accessed March 9, 2015). Click the pictures to advance through the slideshow.
8 Source: Watts DL. The nutritional relationships of magnesium. J Orthom Med 1988;3(4):197–201.
9 Source: Abbasi B et al. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci 2012;17(12):1161–9.
10 Source: National Institutes of Health. Magnesium: Fact sheet for health professionals. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ (accessed March 6, 2015).
11 Source: The Natural Standard Research Collaboration via WebMD. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Evidence. http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-b6/evidence/hrb-20058788 (accessed March 9, 2015).