Tired of Counting Sheep? 5 Foods that Help you Sleep Like A Baby

Aren’t you in awe of people who fall asleep the minute they hit the pillow? How do they do that? If you are someone who lays awake in bed for hours until the wee dawn procrastinating, or worse, looking up searches for alternative therapy to get some quality sleep, then this is a must-read for you. 

Every day, an astounding number of individuals complain about their sleep patterns. But why is it so hard to fall asleep? 

Meet Serotonin and Melatonin, the two hormones that play a crucial role in your sleep pattern and quality. Serotonin is responsible for appetite, mood and sleep regulation, while Melatonin maintains the circadian rhythm and our sleep-wake cycle. Imbalance in either or both of these hormones means a complicated relationship with sleep.

We know a hormonal imbalance like this sounds intense, but don’t panic just yet. There is evidence that food relates directly to serotonin and including certain kinds can help your slumber.

Here are 5 kinds of foods that can take you to your dream state.

Proteins
The keywords are amino acid tryptophan and lean proteins. Tryptophan increases serotonin levels and there’s plenty of it in lean meats, millets, soya, nuts, and various beans and pulses. However, avoid cooking them in heavy fats, as they become difficult to digest and tend to keep you awake at night.  

Complex Carbs
Caaaaarbs? Yes! But not the simple, refined and sugary ones. We’re talking complex carbohydrates like wholegrains, peas, beans, broccoli, corn among others. Choose gluten-free options if you’re sensitive but otherwise embracing whole-grain everything is the path to a good night’s sleep. Avoid sugars that disguise as healthy as they tend to reduce serotonin and prolong awake-state. 

Healthy Fats
After years and years of being told fat is bad, we’re glad that fat is finally having its much-needed nutritional renaissance (#NotAllFat). However, always choose unsaturated fat over trans-fat. Some easily available sources for unsaturated fats are almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios and cashews. As for trans fat, much like simple sugars, trans fat in deep-fried foods brings down the serotonin levels and prevents sleep.

Herbs
Fresh herbs such as basil, lavender, Valerian Root, especially with comfort foods like pasta or soups help reduce tension, promote relaxation and include sleep.

Beverages
Your granny and mom were right; a glass of warm milk soothes the senses and helps to signal the brain to shut shop for the day. Herbal teas made with Chamomile, a proven sleep inducer safely encourages sleep activity. Avoid caffeine at least 5 hrs before bedtime since even small amounts can act as a stimulant. Our Sleep Like a Baby mix has also proven effective within the community. 

Sleep Like a Baby contains:

Ashwagandha and Schisandra Berry, both potent adaptogens, that work to reduce stress, irritability and fatigue to produce a calming effect.

Chamomile, a known natural sedative, rich in antioxidants initiates sleep while Cinnamon improves digestion to achieve quality sleep. Jatamanshi which is an ancient remedy for insomnia increases the duration of deep sleep.

Try this sleep mix

• 1 glass of milk of choice
• 1 tsp Sleep Like a Baby mix
• 1 tsp banana powder or puree of a small banana

Here’s to good sleep and pleasant dreams!

References: 1, 2

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/