Should you let yourself have that midnight snack if you're having trouble sleeping and you think hunger might be part of the problem?
Here are five foods that can actually help you drift off:
1. Cherries. Fresh and dried cherries are one of the only natural food sources of melatonin, the chemical that controls the body's internal clock to regulate sleep. Researchers who tested tart cherries and found high levels of melatonin recommend eating them an hour before bedtime or before a trip when you want to sleep on the plane.
2. Bananas. Potassium and magnesium are natural muscle relaxants, and bananas are a good source of both. They also contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which gets converted to 5-HTP in the brain. The 5-HTP in turn is converted to serotonin (a relaxing neurotransmitter) and melatonin.
3. Toast. Carbohydrate-rich foods trigger insulin production, which induces sleep by speeding up the release of tryptophan and serotonin, two brain chemicals that relax you and send you to sleep..
4. Oatmeal. Like toast, a bowl of oatmeal triggers a rise in blood sugar, which in turn triggers insulin production and the release of sleep-inducing brain chemicals. Oats are also rich in melatonin, which many people take as a sleep aid.
5. Warm milk. Like bananas, milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which turns to 5-HTP and releases relaxing serotonin. It's also high in calcium, which promotes sleep
Source: Yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
Latest Stories
-
Don’t celebrate yet, declined T-bill yields artificial – IPPA to Finance Minister
1 hour -
Hidden epidemics in Africa and power of serosurveillance
2 hours -
Policy rate hike came at a wrong time; government must be financially disciplined – IPPA
2 hours -
Telecel CEO calls for collaboration between academia and industry for nation-building
3 hours -
Telecel Enterprise Business Director advocates strengthened support for women entrepreneurs
3 hours -
Chamber of Licensed Gold Buyers hails enactment of GoldBod Act
3 hours -
Securing Rugby’s Future: Morocco welcomes 2025 international seminar on African Rugby Development
4 hours -
UHAS commits to advancing role of sports in public health and national dev’t
4 hours -
FixTheCountry to stage May 1 protest over gov’t inaction on illegal mining
4 hours -
Some film producers wanted to end my dreams – Yvonne Nelson
4 hours -
Daily Insight for CEOs: The CEO’s guide to financial leadership
4 hours -
China-Ghana Mining Association inaugurated to deepen bilateral collaboration
4 hours -
Gov’t to equip pre-tertiary schools with tech tools to boost STEM and AI education
5 hours -
Delta Air Lines champions women’s leadership in global trade
5 hours -
Caveman CEO wins The Royal Senchi’s 1st Golf Invitational
5 hours