Many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep. But did you know your diet can play a big part in the quality of sleep you get?
Certain foods contain vitamins and chemicals that help to regulate our sleep cycle, promote sleepiness and generally help us to get a better quality of sleep.
Here we take a look at some of the foods (and drinks) you should try to help improve your sleep.
Almonds
Almonds are one of the best things we can eat for promoting good sleep. The reason they are so good for our sleep quality is because they contain melatonin, which is a hormone that helps to regulate the sleep/wake cycle.
As well as this, almonds are full of magnesium and calcium, which can help your muscles to relax and promote sleep.
Warm Milk
A classic childhood remedy for helping little ones drift off, warm milk does actually have a legitimate scientific basis for helping you get some sleep.
Milk contains tryptophan, calcium, vitamin D and melatonin, which help promote feelings of sleepiness. The warmth of the drink also helps us to relax and can work as part of a nighttime ritual.
Kiwi
Kiwi fruit has been the source of research into how food can impact our sleep. One study from 2011 revealed that eating two kiwi fruits an hour before bed for a month helped to improve the quality and quantity of sleep, as well as reducing the amount of time it took to fall asleep.
This could be to do with the fact that kiwi contains many sleep-promoting compounds, including melatonin, anthocyanins and carotenoids.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea has traditionally been used as a herbal treatment for insomnia. Many enjoy a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime, as the warmth of the drink can help you feel relaxed and induce sleepiness.
As well as this, the drink contains apigenin, which is believed to help induce sleep.
Walnuts
Walnuts help to make you feel sleepy and work to make your sleep more regular. This is down to the melatonin, serotonin and magnesium found within walnuts, which help to regulate sleep.
Oily fish
Oily fish, like salmon or mackerel, is a great addition to a balanced diet and can offer benefits to your sleep schedule to match.
Fish is an excellent source of Omega-3, which helps to regulate serotonin. Serotonin is responsible for establishing a sleep/wake cycle.
Research has been conducted into the effects of eating fish on sleep. The findings showed that those who ate salmon three times a week fell asleep faster and were less sleepy in the day than those who ate a comparable amount of chicken, pork or beef.
Turkey
If you’d prefer meat to fish, then turkey is your best option. It is full of protein, vitamins and minerals, with the protein associated with promoting tiredness and improving sleep quality.
Likewise, turkey contains tryptophan, which increases melatonin production, which helps to regulate sleep, further helping you to get good sleep!
How Can CBD Help?
If you still struggle to sleep after adopting dietary and lifestyle changes, then a CBD oil for sleep may be able to help you.
CBD has been found to have positive effects on sleep, helping to treat sleep disorders, insomnia and reduce the causes of sleeplessness, like anxiety, stress and pain.
If you are interested in trying out CBD oil to see if it has a positive impact on your sleep, then check out the range of products we have available here at ElleVance, including CBD oil and gel capsules.
