Foods to help promote sleep
EVERYONE knows that cranky feeling you get when you don’t get enough sleep at night. You feel irritable, tired and are constantly thinking about stretching out in your bed, warmly tucked away in dreamland.
However, not everyone gets the required eight hours of sleep experts recommend to function effectively. Unfortunately, for many people, lifestyle and environmental factors have contributed to difficulties in getting a good night’s rest. What can you do if you’re consistently missing out on your eight hours?
Here are five foods you could try to help regulate your sleep pattern.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish, such as Atlantic mackerel, yellow tuna and European anchovy, may improve sleep patterns as they are rich in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. These are two nutrients that help regulate serotonin, which is largely responsible for establishing a fixed sleeping and waking cycle.
Almonds
This nut contains high doses of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate sleeping and waking cycles. Also, a one-ounce serving of whole almonds contains 77 milligrams of magnesium and 76 milligrams of calcium, two minerals that help promote muscle relaxation and sleep.
Warm milk
Warm milk is considered a common home remedy for sleeplessness. It contains four sleep-promoting compounds, which are tryptophan, calcium, vitamin D and melatonin.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile is a herb that is used in parts of the world traditionally to cure insomnia. Some researchers think that a flavonoid compound called apidenin is responsible for chamomile’s sleep-inducing properties.
Lettuce
Lettuce and lettuce seed oil may help in promoting a good night’s sleep. Some researchers believe that lettuce’s sedative effects are due to the plant’s n-butanol fraction, especially in a compound called lactucin.
If someone is getting less than three to four hours of sleep each night, they may be suffering from insomnia, a sleep disorder which results in them having difficulty falling or staying asleep. While the condition can be short term or long term, which is referred to as acute or chronic insomnia respectively, doctors advise that they should seek help nonetheless, as sleep is very vital to our health.
