Eating the right foods and choosing ideal supplements may help you to enjoy deeper sleep.
While dietary supplements and special foods won’t resolve sleep apnea or another serious sleep disorder, they will often quell insomnia or other troublesome night-time symptoms.
Certain foods and supplements contain a compound, tryptophan, that soothes the body and prepares it for rest. You’ve probably heard that turkey contains this compound – that’s why many people doze off shortly after a big turkey dinner on Thanksgiving!
By choosing tryptophan-rich foods and other herbal remedies and ingesting them in the hours before sleep, it may be possible to relax more thoroughly, and to enjoy a better night’s rest that leaves you feeling alert and refreshed.
One important tip for using tryptophan-rich foods to their best effect is to combine them with a carbohydrate. For example, enjoying chickpeas and fat-free dressing on whole wheat pasta , pita bread, or brown rice will help the body to produce serotonin that leads to a satisfying night’s sleep.
Here are some of the most effective foods and supplements for better sleep:
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Chickpeas are versatile, tasty legumes that are packed with beneficial tryptophan. To get the benefit of these nutritious beans, be sure to enjoy them in hummus spreads (as shown at left), soups, and salads. Cheap and so easy to prepare, canned chickpeas just need rinsing under cool water before using.
Another benefit of adding more chickpeas to your diet is they way they give you access to low-fat protein. Today, more and more people are turning to vegetarian meals to guard their heart health and lose weight. This popular vegetarian protein choice is tailor-made for health-conscious eaters – and these beans will really help you to sleep.
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts have a delicious, subtle and delicate flavor, which makes them a favorite ingredient in liqueurs (Fra Angelica), desserts (Ferrero Rocher bonbons) and tasty spreads (Nutella). However, plain hazelnuts are probably the best choices if you want to enjoy better sleep. Chocolate and alcohol are not sleep aids!
These fragrant nuts are loaded with tryptophan, which is proven to help you fall asleep as soon as your head touches the pillow (or very shortly thereafter!).
Eggs
One of nature’s perfect foods, eggs are rich in many essential nutrients, such as Vitamin A, iron, folate and selenium.
Since eggs also contain tryptophan, they may be a fine choice for evening meals or snacks. Enjoy an egg on wheat or spelt toast to get optimum benefits from this food.
Eggs shouldn’t be eaten daily, as the yolks are high in cholesterol. However, as part of a varied diet, they play an important role in supporting good health and promoting better sleep.
Melatonin
Known by the scientific name, N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, Melatonin is one of the most popular supplements for better sleep. Typically, this hormone supplement, which is usually sold in a lab-created, synthetic form, is used to relieve jet lag and insomnia, while supporting the health of the immune system.
Aromatherapy, such as lavender therapy, is also used to relax the body before sleep. Chamomile tea is another popular home remedy for occasional insomnia.
Sometimes, More Help is Needed…
If you have an undiagnosed sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, munching hazelnuts, eating hummus, and popping melatonin pills will not resolve your serious health condition.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping, and breathing problems (plenty of “stops” and “starts”).
Other red flags that sleep apnea is present include waking up with a headache and suffering from constant mental fog and exhaustion during the daytime hours.
Sleep apnea must be treated with safe, effective CPAP machines, CPAP nasal masks, and CPAP nasal pillows. To get started with treating your sleep disorder today, contact your physician or speak to a qualifed sleep apnea treatment specialist.
