What you eat affects how easily you fall asleep and the quality of sleep you get. Some foods help your brain calm down, while others stimulate it. If you are having trouble falling asleep or sleeping well, your food intake may be causing problems without realizing it.
Foods that contain an amino acid called tryptophan are known to induce sleep. Foods that contain tryptophan can help you fall asleep and sleep better at night. Foods without this substance can disturb sleep.
Also, eating carbohydrates along with tryptophan-containing foods works best. So, for dinner and bedtime snacks, eat something high in complex carbs with some tryptophan-containing protein to relax your brain, with some calcium too. A sugary snack that contains only carbohydrates is likely to stimulate you and make it difficult to sleep.
These foods contain high amounts of sleep-inducing tryptophan:
- whole grain
- hummus, sesame seeds
- dairy products, eg milk, cheese
- meat, poultry, eggs, seafood
- Beans
- hazelnuts and peanuts
- soy foods, eg tofu, soy nuts
Dinners to help you sleep
Light meals are better to help you relax. Avoid high-fat foods and large portions because they overwork your digestive system and can keep you awake. In fact, it is better to go to bed with a comfortable stomach, not a full one. You may feel like you are falling asleep faster, but your sleep is likely to be interrupted during the night. Try these foods to help you relax and sleep:
- pasta/mac and cheese
- meat or poultry with vegetables
- stir fried tofu
- scrambled eggs and cheese
- seafood with cheese pasta
Good snacks before bed
These foods are rich in carbohydrates and calcium, as well as containing moderate amounts of protein to induce sleep. Keep in mind that food takes about an hour to digest, so plan to eat it an hour before bed:
- whole grains and milk
- oatmeal raisin cookies with milk
- apple pie with ice cream
- hazelnuts with tofu
- peanut butter sandwich and ground sesame seeds.
If you’re not sure or skeptical, why not do your own experiment and try it out for a week?