Sleep Sound and Beat Insomnia with These 10 Healthy Foods

Sleep is a crucial part of our life. A sound, continuous sleep daily is essential for our good health and well-being. It promotes both psychological and physical health. It provides our body with sufficient time to relax, repair, and renew. When we sleep for seven to eight hours daily at night, it helps us maintain a healthy weight. We fall sick less often. Adequate sleep lowers our risk of developing serious health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. It de-stresses us and improves our mood, focus, and alertness. Of late, due to our hectic work schedules and busy life, we often scarify sleep. Inadequate sleep not only impacts our mood negatively but also affects our motor skills, performance at work, and immune system adversely. So, it is important to get enough sleep daily and spread awareness about it. For this purpose, the World Sleep Society celebrates World Sleep Day on the third Friday of March every year since 2008. The global initiative aims to raise awareness about the significance of getting enough sleep, shed light on a range of sleep-related issues, and help people with serious sleep problems obtain relief.

This year – 2023, World Sleep Day will be celebrated on 17^th March 2023. The theme of World Sleep Day 2023 is “Sleep is essential for health”. It focuses on the significance of sleep for maintaining good health. It encourages good sleeping habits to avoid or address several sleep-related problems. What you eat and drink also affects the quality of your sleep. Today, several people worldwide suffer from insomnia. If you are looking for natural, gentle, and safe ways to improve your sleep, dietary modifications can help. Adding certain nutritious foods to your diet and eliminating foods that hamper your restful slumber can help you improve your sleep, immunity, and overall health. So, you might be wondering which foods can help you enhance your sleep and combat insomnia, aren’t you? Continue reading this blog to learn everything about it.

10 Best Nutritious Foods to Improve Your Sleep

Here’s a list of healthy foods to improve sleep and beat insomnia.

1. Kiwi

Kiwi is a small, oval-shaped fruit that provides you with a healthy dose of nutrients. It comprises several vitamins, prominently vitamin E and vitamin C, and minerals, such as potassium, and folate. Eating a couple of fresh kiwis an hour before going to bed can help you fall asleep quicker than usual, enjoy better sleep quality, and sleep for more time. High serotonin content, folate content, and antioxidant properties of kiwi are believed to be responsible for improving your sleep. So, munch on a couple of kiwis an hour before you go to bed.

2. Pistachios

One of the most loved nuts is pistachios. They are loaded with vitamin B6, magnesium, and proteins, so, eating them helps you sleep better. On top of that, pistachios are rich in melatonin, which helps regulate our sleep-wake cycles. So, make sure you snack on some crunchy pistachios before going to bed.

3. Bananas

The high magnesium content in bananas makes them nutritious food to enjoy a deep, restful sleep. Additionally, bananas also contain tryptophan, which is a crucial amino acid that plays a role in the production of melatonin and serotonin; thereby promoting sleep. So, eating fresh bananas helps induce sound sleep at night. Bananas are also rich in the mineral potassium, which plays a role in relaxing your nerves and muscles.

4. Dark Chocolate

Everyone loves eating dark chocolate, and it’s a healthy substitute for sugary snacks. What’s more, it also encourages quality sleep. The magnesium content in dark chocolate is found to have a link with circadian rhythms, which are crucial for sound sleep at night. Also, dark chocolate is a good source of flavanols and tryptophan, both of which help you fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer. So, eat dark chocolate to sleep soundly.

5. Spinach

Leafy greens are nutritious and offer plenty of health benefits. Spinach is one of them that is rich in magnesium and calcium. Both these minerals have a crucial role in promoting proper sleep cycles. Magnesium helps you relax, release tension from your nerves, and fall asleep. Calcium plays a major role in promoting REM sleep. So, incorporate fresh spinach into your diet for quality sleep.

6. Tart Cherries

These cherries have a distinct flavour and are also known as sour cherries. The nutritious tart cherries offer sleep benefits. If you drink a couple of cups of tart cherry juice a day, you may experience greater total sleep duration and higher sleep efficiency. That’s because these nutrient-dense cherries have above-average melatonin concentrations. As you know, the melatonin hormone promotes sound sleep and regulates circadian rhythm. Also, the antioxidant effects of tart cherries are conducive to sleep.

7. Fatty Fish

Fatty fish is a healthy food for improving your sleep. It provides you with a rich dose of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. These nutrients have an active role in regulating serotonin in your body, thereby managing your sleep-wake cycle. So, include fatty fish, such as salmon, in your regular diet. It is found that consuming salmon thrice a week can help improve your overall sleep. It also helps enhance your daytime functioning.

8. Milk and Cheese

Abundant in tryptophan, cheese is another healthy food for improving sleep and beating insomnia. Also, it is a powerful source of protein. High calcium content in milk, cheese, and other dairy products enables tryptophan to function efficiently to make you fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. Drinking milk boosts your serotonin, promotes relaxation, and helps you fall asleep quickly.

9. Chamomile Tea

Regular intake of this herbal tea helps minimize your anxiety and depression, which are key causes of sleep disorders. It contains Apigenin, an antioxidant that binds the receptors in your brain that promotes sleep. So, chamomile tea is a natural solution for insomnia. Its mild sedative effect induces sleep, improves your sleep quality, and helps you feel rested and refreshed on waking up. So, you may have a cup of this herbal tea before bedtime.

10. Raw Honey

If you are one among those whose sweet tooth gets stronger as bedtime approaches, have some raw honey with fruit or toast. Honey promotes the release of melatonin, which your body utilizes to rejuvenate itself during sleep. Honey’s sugars elevate your insulin levels and promote the release of tryptophan, which helps you sleep better. Also, glucose in raw honey reverses levels of orexin, which alleviates levels of alertness in the brain, without a spike in your energy, unlike artificial sugars. So, raw honey is a healthy option to enjoy a sound sleep.

So, let’s pledge to have adequate, quality sleep by savouring these healthy foods and let’s spread the word about the significance of sleep for improving health this World Sleep Day. Consulting certified dieticians and nutritionists can help you receive a customised diet plan for improving sleep. Our insomnia diet plan not only helps you enjoy sound sleep but also eliminates your nutritional deficiencies, manages your weight, boosts your immunity, and helps prevent potential health risks. So, think no further, get in touch with us at Health Total and sleep soundly with our personalized diet plan for improving sleep.

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