7 Food Items That Help You Fall Asleep Faster

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To the modern man, or even women, falling asleep may seem more of a chore, than facing the demands of the day. The source of this dilemma can range from hectic work schedules or even stress on your mental health, leaving you awake till the wee hours of the morning.

The question now lies in how you can skip these meaningless activities, and ensure maximum sound sleep.

The ideal solution would entail health habits such as sleeping at a fixed time or even exercise on a regular basis. Nevertheless, you will be surprised to know that a simpler answer to this question lies in a handful of almond nuts, or even a spoonful of honey. That is because certain food items have naturally occurring substances which help sleep faster. The inclusion of these food items in your daily diet will go a long way in ensuring sound sleep that your body deserves.

Given below are some of the best food choices that help you sleep better:

Almonds: Almonds are a rich source of magnesium which also happens to be a vital component in helping you get sound sleep. It is believed that a low level of magnesium makes it difficult to fall asleep. A daily consumption of almonds will help in keeping the magnesium levels intact.

Cottage Cheese: Food items high in lean protein such as cottage cheese, pack the amino acid tryptophan, which may increase the serotonin levels. Serotonin is a hormone that is needed by the human body, which in low concentrations can be a cause of insomnia. Therefore, one must consume foods such as cottage cheese to balance the serotonin levels in the body.

Walnuts: Walnuts are a good source of the amino acid tryptophan, a sleep-enhancing agent that helps make the melatonin and serotonin- a body-clock hormone, regulate your sleep-wake cycles. A research by the University of Texas shows that walnuts contain their own source of melatonin that may help you fall asleep faster.

Honey: Who doesn’t like honey? Well, you will be glad to know it also contains glucose that does the work of sending out a message to your brain to shut off orexin, a chemical that controls sleeplessness, stimulation and appetite.

Lettuce: Lettuce contains lactucarium having sedative properties. Instead of having it as a salad, you can try this brew by adding large lettuce leaves (around 3-5) in a cup of hot water for at least 15 minutes. Add two mint strings once you remove it from the heat. It is a perfect brew and should be taken before you snuggle in bed.

Rice: Surely, you must have read about how rice is not good for your health. But did you know it actually helps you fall asleep faster? As it has a high glycemic index, it decreases the time you normally take to fall asleep. According to the research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it is seen that people who consume jasmine rice tend to fall asleep much faster as compared to other types of rice.

Cereal: Instead of having a bowl of cereal in the morning, switch to a bowl before bedtime. As per National Sleep Foundation, a bowl of your favourite cereal will help you have a good night’s sleep as it has two major components that work their magic, carbohydrates which you get from cereal and calcium which is received from the milk.

Next time you struggle to sleep or find yourself waking up frequently during the night, you know what you need to do. Ensure you have these food items in your house and you have a complete guarantee, that sooner or later you will be enjoying your sleep like a baby.

Dr. Preeti Devnani, Sleep Therapist – Sleep@10

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