9 Foods to Help You Sleep
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Oct 10, 2019
- 2 min read
Introduction:
Whether you want to doze your way slim, or you just want to wake up feeling more refreshed in the morning, check out these foods that help you sleep.
Fact: Women who report better sleep were 33 percent more likely to hit their weight-loss goals, according to a study published in the journal Obesity. Whether you want to doze your way slim, or you just want to wake up feeling more refreshed in the morning, check out these foods that help you sleep.
1. Kiwi
This green fruit may be the ultimate pre-bed snack. Kiwis are full of vitamins C and E, serotonin and folate-all of which may help you snooze.
2. Soyfoods
Foods made with soy such as tofu, miso and edamame, are rich in isoflavones. These compounds increase the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that influences the body's sleep-wake cycle.
3. Fiber-Rich Foods
Eating more fiber could be key for better sleep. Fiber prevents blood sugar surges that may lower melatonin. Get a fiber boost from beans, artichokes, bran cereal and quinoa.
4. Fish
Most fish-and especially salmon, halibut and tuna-boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness).
5. Tart Cherry Juice
In a small study, melatonin-rich tart cherry juice was shown to aid sleep. When adults with chronic insomnia drank a cup of tart cherry juice twice a day they experienced some relief in the severity of their insomnia.
6. Yogurt
Dairy products like yogurt and milk boast healthy doses of calcium-and there's research that suggests being calcium-deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.
7. Whole Grains
Bulgur, barley and other whole grains are rick in magnesium-and consuming too little magnesium may make it harder to stay asleep.
8. Kale
Dairy products are well-known calcium-rich foods. But green leafy vegetables, such as kale and collards, also boast healthy doses of calcium. And research suggests that being calcium deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.
9. Bananas
Bananas, well-known for being rich in potassium, are also a good source of Vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness).
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