Good Foods For Sleep

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What really are good foods for sleep? Does a glass of warm milk or hot chocolate before bed really make a difference?

According to sleep expert, Dr Michael Breuss, the jury is still out on whether or not milk encourages sleep. It could be that the enzyme tryptophan, contained in milk, will help you sleep. It could also be true that the habit of drinking a glass of warm milk before bed has taught you that this is a precursor to going to bed. Perhaps the psychological connection with warm milk is what does the trick.

What we eat or drink, however, does affect how we sleep. A recent Australian study showed that men who ate jasmine rice four hours before bedtime took only nine minutes on average to fall asleep, while those who ate the same meal one hour before bed took on average 15 minutes to fall asleep. And strangely, when long-grain rice was eaten four hours ahead of bedtime instead of jasmine rice, the men took nearly 18 minutes to fall asleep. Now the researchers are trying to understand what made the difference.

L-tryptophan

Tryptophan is an amino acid known to induce sleep. Foods containing it can help you become sleepy and sleep more soundly. Find out which are the foods containing L-tryptophan.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a substance found in the fruits and leaves of certain plants and stimulates the brain and nervous system.

Foods containing caffeine

Negative effects of caffeine

Caffeine withdrawal

Caffeine high blood pressure

Heartburn

Heartburn is a key symptom of acid reflux and is experienced as a burning feeling that radiates from the stomach to the chest and throat. It often occurs after a heavy meal and bothers people most when they lie on their backs at night. Some foods can worsen heartburn. Find out the acid reflux food to avoid for a good night sleep.

Blood pressure

People who sleep fewer hours are more likely to experience blood pressure problems, particularly those in middle age. Sleep deprivation is connected with a higher stress response. This can contribute to high blood pressure. Blood pressure is also affected by diet and there are in fact foods that lower blood pressure. If you have blood pressure problems, you could try improving your sleep and your diet.

 

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