Ask Your Nutritionist Which Food Helps To Sleep
The food we eat can have a significant impact on various aspects of our health, such as weight, cardiovascular health, and blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is advisable to speak with the best dietician before making significant changes to your diet. This can help ensure that your dietary choices support not only your sleep but also your overall
health.
It’s always advisable to follow a diet plan prepared by an expert instead of taking medicines for sleep which can be harmful in the long run.
Here are a few foods that can help you sleep:
Kiwi
It comes in both green and gold varieties, with green kiwi being more commonly produced. Kiwifruit is rich in various vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins C and E, potassium, and folate. Some research has shown that eating kiwi can improve sleep, with people who ate two kiwis before bedtime experiencing faster sleep onset, longer
sleep duration, and better sleep quality. It is not fully understood why kiwis may help with sleep, but it is thought that their antioxidant properties, ability to address folate deficiencies and high concentration of serotonin may play a role.
Tart Cherries and Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherries, also known as sour cherries, have a different flavor from sweet cherries and include cultivars such as Richmond, Montmorency, and English morello. They can be purchased whole or as tart cherry juice. Several studies have shown that consuming tart cherry juice can improve sleep, with people who drank two cups of it per day having
longer total sleep time and higher sleep efficiency. These benefits may be due to the fact that tart cherries have higher-than-average concentrations of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm and promotes healthy sleep. Tart cherries may also have an antioxidant effect that promotes sleep.
Malted Milk and Nighttime Milk
Malted milk is made by combining milk and a powdered mix containing wheat flour, malted wheat, malted barley, sugar, and various vitamins. It is often referred to by the brand name Horlick’s. Some small studies in the past have found that consuming malted milk before bedtime can reduce sleep interruptions. The reason for these benefits is unclear, but it may be related to the presence of B and D vitamins in malted milk. Milk also contains melatonin, and some milk products are enriched with the hormone. Cows milked at night produce milk with higher levels of melatonin, which may be a natural source of the hormone that promotes sleep.
Nuts
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews are often considered to be beneficial for improving sleep. Nuts contain melatonin and essential minerals like magnesium and zinc, which are necessary for various bodily functions. A clinical trial using supplements found that a combination of melatonin, magnesium, and zinc helped
older adults with insomnia get better sleep. The exact amounts of these substances can vary among different types of nuts.
Here are some tips to fall asleep:
1. Engage in relaxation activities before bedtime, such as listening to light music, reading a book, taking a warm bath, or drinking a cup of chamomile or liquorice tea or a glass of warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg.
2. Place a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow or behind your ears.
3. Avoid consuming caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate, and nicotine (cigarettes and other tobacco products) close to bedtime.
4. Eat at least two hours before bedtime. Eating before sleeping can slow the body’s metabolism and make it harder to digest, which can lead to weight gain.
5. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime. Exercise increases body temperature, heart rate, and stimulates the nervous system, which can disrupt sleep for some people.
6. Practice some breathing exercises, such as alternate nostril breathing, to help with sleep.
7. Keep the room temperature at a comfortable level, around 15-20°C if possible, for optimal sleep.
8. Avoid looking at screens or gadgets before bedtime. The blue light emitted from these devices can delay the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and increase alertness, making it harder to fall asleep.
It is advisable to contact the best nutritionist like Binny Choudhry for your better sleep diet and take some professional help from her.