Ten Foods That Can Help You Sleep Better

Argh! If you are someone like me who battles with insomnia from time to time, or often, you will definitely appreciate this post. Just to be clear, I do have insomnia periodically, and appear to have a lot of triggers ranging from being stressed to the weather changing. It is a curse that I have to live with. If you feel the same pain, try some of these food items.

One: Carbohydrates
Yes, this is not a specific food item, but a macronutrient. You know how health articles always encourage people to eat low glycaemic index (GI) foods such as brown rice and multigrain bread, right? When it comes to getting good rest, the opposite is true. Aim for high GI goods that cause your blood sugar to spike and possibly putting you to sleep.

Two: Leafy Vegetables
These include kale, spinach and mustard greens. If you happen to live in Asia, there are a lot more to choose from, such as Bok Choy and Choy Sum. The logic behind this is that their high calcium levels stimulate the brain to use tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. Oops, jargon galore; my bad! Just know that it can help you with your sleep issue.

Three: Cherry Juice
What? Why specifically cherries? And why juice them when they are so delicious and sweet in their own right. Well, scientific research has shown that cherries can boost melatonin levels, leading to better sleep. Juicing them just concentrates it, that’s all.

Four: Honey
Another sweet food. Honey can help raise insulin levels and allow tryptophan to enter the brain more easily. With low GI carbs, cherry juice and now this, have you started to notice a trend yet?

Five: Hummus
I don’t know about you, but while I like hummus, the thought of having it just before bed is not quite as appealing. Nevertheless, the chickpea component of hummus is known to be a good source of tryptophan, which can induce sleep indirectly.

Six: Root Vegetables
Warning – this point may seem to somewhat contradict the first point, as this group range from high to low GI. The rationale behind this is that the high magnesium levels help relax the nervous system, which reduces stress hormones and helps the body rest.

Seven: Almonds
Just like root vegetables, almonds are also high in magnesium. So yes, you can now conclude that more magnesium equates to better sleep.

Eight: Passionfruit Or Chamomile Tea
These would be the best teas for inducing rest. Passionfruit tea contains a naturally occurring beta-carboline alkaloid that quiets the nervous system, while chamomile tea helps increase the glycaemic index.

Nine: Warm Milk
You have probably heard this before as an old wives’ tale. While that is the stereotype, the reality is that warm milk are high in calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan that manufactures melatonin.

Ten: Walnuts
I bet it won’t surprise you anymore when I say that Tryptophan is found in high levels in walnuts. Oh, and melatonin too, which walnuts are full of.

Alrighty, that’s it for now. I know I said ten foods, but in typical Granite Fitness Blog style, I’ve added in a few extras in some of them. I know I’ll certainly be taking this advice. I hope you will too. Let’s see how it goes, aight? All the best.

Try these too: