I was talking to my friend the other night, and we were discussing ideas for a potential post, and she suggested foods that help you to sleep better! So inspired by her suggestion, we’ve got an entire post dedicated to eating well to catch your ZZZs.

I found this to be a really good idea especially since most of us students probably have a major sleep deficit after exams.

So I’ve compiled a list of 7 simple foods and drinks that will help you to sleep better and heal your terribly sleep-deprived body over the summer break.

1) Bananas

Bananas are known to be a quick energy booster and competitive swimmers love to eat it before a race since they are easily converted to energy. I remember a friend of mine who used to eat an entire bunch of bananas while waiting for his race.

Surprisingly, bananas are great sleep-inducers too! Being rich in potassium, bananas act as a muscle relaxant to relax you before you sleep. Vitamin B6, found in bananas, also help melatonin synthesis which is the production of the sleep hormone.

2) Walnuts

Not only are walnuts good for your brain, they are good for your sleep cycle too! Walnuts have a high amount of tryptophan which is a sleep-enhancing amino acid that helps produce serotonin and melatonin to set your sleep-wake cycles.

3) Rice

I wasn’t expecting this, but I guess there’s a reason why more traditional Asians sleep so early, especially the Japanese, instead of staying out all night partying.

White rice has a high glycemic index, so it makes you fall asleep faster. (Seems more like a food coma to me haha)

In particular, jasmine rice is said to make you sleep faster according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which found that people who ate a meal that included jasmine rice fell asleep faster than when they ate other rice types.

4) Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea helps you to sleep better as drinking it would lead to an increase of glycine, a chemical that relaxes nerves and muscles and acts like a mild sedative.

And I must admit, it does sound pretty soothing to sip on a hot cuppa tea as you snuggle up with a good book before going to bed.

5) Whole-grain toast with Nut Butter 

In particular, almond butter would make a good choice as one tablespoon of almond butter offers up a good dose of magnesium which helps you sleep better! Apparently, magnesium deficiency leads to insomnia and muscle cramps which would lead to less enjoyable sleep. Whole grain toast makes a good choice since it also contains magnesium, and a good balance of carbs.

6) Cheese and crackers

This savoury snack is a great pre-bed snack since the tryptophan found in dairy can help you sleep better! Again, paired with sleep-inducing carbs, and you’ve got a nice long night of shut-eye ahead of you.

7) Tart Cherry Juice

Now I can’t vouch for this one, cause I have yet to try it, but after doing much research, tart cherry juice came up several times so I thought it would be apt to include it in the list.

In a small study conducted, it was found that 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.
Source

So there you have it!

Good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite! 😀

Featured image source: Pinterest