Having trouble getting to bed at night or you can’t get a solid 8 hours? Check out these five foods that should get you back to counting sheep in no time.
1. Cottage Cheese-. A half to one cup of cottage cheese is a perfect source of protein before bed since it contains slow-digesting casein proteins that will distribute the amino acids to the muscle tissues for hours to come.
In addition to this, it’s really going to help improve your sleep as it contains the amino acid tryptophan, which will naturally induce sleep in the body and help you get a better night’s rest. the amino acid does create serotonin production and serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep.
2. Oatmeal– usually a breakfast food, it’s a good nighttime snack because the carbs cause serotonin to release in the body. Serotonin is a hormone that naturally relaxes you and makes you feel better.
3. Peanuts or Peanut Butter– Peanuts have a ton of Niacin, a nutrient that increases the release of Serotonin. Peanut butter is very high in fat and calories, so make sure to keep the portions small. Try it with some carrots or a ½ an apple, even a piece of grain toast.
4. Warm Milk– surprisingly it is true! The reason behind having milk before bed is the same as why you get tired after eating Turkey. Milk has tryptophan amino acid, and the warm feeling is very soothing and relaxing. The calcium also works to help produce melatonin that controls your sleep-wake cycle.
5. Grapes – Grapes are the only fruit found to contain the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin, so by adding them regularly to your diet, you can help boost the natural sleep-wake cycle in the body. This will then allow you to get to sleep faster each night.
Among other reasons, it is so important to get enough rest each night, without it you can not only be moody but have elevated levels of cortisol which will encourage belly fat production (heaven forbid!!!).
-Jessica Brown
