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Food which help you sleep |
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by OzBinky  (January 2007) (rank 12th) |
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There have been so many questions posted about sleep problems on minti I thought that I would add a little more information to what has already been suggested. I suffered insomnia for some time and tried many remedies to over come it. It wasn’t until my eldest son began 
his road of sleeplessness that I considered food as a cause and also as a cure.
There were several good sites that addressed this issue, however, the Dr. Sears website was one in particular that was able to answer most of my questions and is the one I used to help write this article.
It isn’t just drinks that keep us awake or helps us sleep, what we eat also affects us.
A key for a good and restful night sleep is relaxing our brain down. Some foods can contribute to this and others interfere. These are called sleepers and wakers.
FOODS WHICH KEEP YOU AWAKE AND HELP YOU SLEEP
Sleepers (snooze foods)
Are foods containing Tryptophan. This is an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, a neuro-transmitter that slows down nerve traffic so your brain isn't so busy.
Wakers
Are Foods that stimulate neuro-chemicals and that wake the brain up.
GOOD SNOOZE FOODS
- Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk
- Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts
- Seafood
- Meats
- Poultry
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Rice
- Hummus
- Lentils
- Hazelnuts, Peanuts
- Eggs
- Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
GOOD BEDTIME SNACKS
Foods which are high in carbohydrates, calcium and low in protein make the best bedtime snacks and can bring on sleep. However, it takes approximately an hour for the effects to reach the brain so make sure you don’t leave it right until the last minute to eat.
- Apple pie and ice cream
- Whole-grain cereal with milk
- Hazelnuts and tofu
- Oatmeal and raisin cookies, and a glass of milk
- Peanut butter sandwich, ground sesame seeds
BEST DINNERS FOR SLEEP
Meals which are high in carbohydrates and low in protein will help relax and set you up for a good night's sleep.
- Pasta with parmesan cheese
- Scrambled eggs and cheese
- Tofu stir-fry
- Hummus with whole wheat pita bread
- Seafood, pasta, and cottage cheese
- Meats and poultry with veggies
- Tuna salad sandwich
- Chili with beans, not spicy
- Sesame seeds sprinkled on salad with tuna chunks & whole wheat crackers
FACTS
- Lighter meals help to give a good night sleep.
- Meals which are high in fat, along with large servings can delay the digestive system from processing all foods. This can cause gas and keep you awake.
- Seasoned foods such as, hot peppers and garlic, can interfere with sleep, especially if you suffer from heartburn.
- Going to bed with a full stomach does not aid in a restful night's sleep. While you may fall asleep faster, all the intestinal work required to digest a big meal is likely to cause frequent waking and a poorer quality of sleep. Eat your evening meal early.
A saying which my Mum, to this very day, quotes is one of the golden rules for night time and that is… "Don't dine after nine.".
FOODS THAT KEEP YOU AWAKE
Any food which contains caffeine is above all others on the top the list of foods that wake you up. The reasons for this are:
- Caffeine is a stimulant which speeds up the nervous system as well as other major body systems. It takes fifteen minutes from drinking a cup of coffee to raise the level of adrenaline in your blood. This triggers an increase in your heart, breathing, urinary output and stomach acids
- Caffeine also releases sugar from the liver via messages from adrenal hormones this stimulates sugar cravings so as to replenish the body’s natural storage.
- Caffeine produces a roller coaster effect as blood sugar becomes unstable, producing quick high and lows.
- The effects caffeine has in the body are much like that of gravity: what goes up must come down.
