It is commonly said that you are what you consume. When it comes to sleep, what you consume does have a huge effect on the quality of your sleep. Foods that actually help you to get better sleep include chicken, milk, rice, cherries, etc. Some of the worst foods that will negatively impact your sleep include alcohol, fatty meat, curry, KFC, McDonald’s, etc.
For many people, eating late such as after 6 pm also negatively affects their ability to sleep. In the event that you do eat before going to bed then you should know that there are 3 chemicals that help you to get better quality sleep. These chemicals include melatonin, tryptophan, and serotonin. We will now look at how you can add these to your food and diet.
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid and it is actually the rarest one. However, you can find this amino acid on chicken, turkey, sunflower seeds, beans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and even milk. This particular chemical is actually converted into serotonin when it goes to the brain.
Melatonin
Next, melatonin is responsible for regulating the circadian rhythm of your body which enables you to get good quality sleep. You can produce more melatonin by sleeping in a dark room since even a little light actually reduces your body’s production of it.
Serotonin
Another important chemical for sleep is serotonin which is similar to the man-made drug known as Prozac. Serotonin is necessary for messages to be relayed between cells and neurons. If you don’t have enough serotonin, then you will typically feel depressed, and anxious and you may even crave sugar and carbs. During the night, serotonin actually goes through a change and becomes melatonin which helps you to feel sleepy and fall asleep.
We will now look at a couple of dietary tips that will ensure you get better sleep:
1. When eating protein, you should eat it with a carbohydrate that has a low to the medium glycemic index. This helps to increase the tryptophan levels in your body.
2. Reduce your use of various sedatives such as sleeping pills as well as your intake of alcohol. Even though they may seem to help you to sleep, these are short term and they are more harmful long-term and can cause you to become dependent on them.
3. Don’t use stimulants such as coffee or other products with caffeine, cigarettes etc.
4. You should avoid purchasing melatonin supplements on the internet. These should be prescribed and if you take too much melatonin, this can negatively impact your body’s ability to naturally produce this necessary hormone.
5. If you’re taking sleeping pills or other sleep aids, don’t stop taking them suddenly. You should talk to a doctor for advice on how to proceed.
6. By changing your diet, it will help you to get better sleep. However, it will take time for it to impact your sleep and you should have a sleep diary so you can easily keep track of your progress. There are many factors that affect sleep. Not least your comfort. Make sure that your mattress is comfortable and supportive, find the best mattress UK. ar Remember, good sleep takes time!