If there’s anything I love more than food it’s a good old early night. In fact, my bedtime is pretty much sacred. If I’m not tucked up by 10pm and you’re planning on crossing my path the following day, well then you better book an appointment with the doctor because this gal is going to need an exorcism. Basically, I’m hugely susceptible to becoming very hangry very fast and I’m a demon when I don’t get enough sleep.
Unfortunately, a severe lack of Zzz’s has been the case for the past couple of weeks so I thought I’d do some research and find out if there are any pre-bed foods than can help with those dreaded long nights of tossing and turning, or any foods that cure insomnia. I’m a far cry from insomniac status myself yet but there might be some of you out there hankering after a seriously good snooze who might benefit from my findings.
My digging led me to an Eve Mattress review, something called a clever lamp and copious amounts of preaching about undergoing a ‘digital detox’. The usual suspects. What did spike my interest however was these changes you can make to your diet for better sleep…
GET YOUR NUTS
Walnuts – Not just the ideal crown on the top of a chocolate whip, walnuts are also a major source of tryptophan. This is an amino acid that enhances sleep by making serotonin and melatonin… have I lost you? Basically, both of these are crucial to your sleep cycle and walnuts are where to get them.
Almonds – It seems the whole world is chugging almond milk right now but whether you’re mixing it into your late night cuppa or snacking on them post-dinner, they’ll do wonders for your sleeping habits. Almonds are packed to the skin with magnesium and higher levels of magnesium help the body stay asleep once you get there.
Pistachios – Pistachio nuts are a great source of magnesium too and also pack a mean vitamin B6 punch, both of which are vital for getting a good night’s kip. Experts recommend eating an ounce (around 25g-28g) of pistachios before bed and you’ll dramatically improve your chances of getting a solid eight hours rest.
DAIRY ISN’T A NIGHTMARE
If I had a Babybel for every time somebody told me cheese can give you nightmares, I would be absolutely enormous. Not sure it would impact my sleeping patterns that much though as I haven’t found much in the way to support any method in that madness. A glass of walk milk however is a safe bet and full of calcium which will trigger the production of melatonin and aid sleep.
CHAMOMILE
You don’t need me to tell you that a mug of chamomile tea before bed is one the most effective ways of knocking you out (in the absence of a double G&T that is). Herbal teas like chamomile are easily accessible and help slow down a racing mind and chill you out ready for slumber. It will give you an increase of glycine, which is a chemical proven to relax the nerves and act like a natural sedative.
Let me know if you have any other tips that I could try out or if you give these pieces of advice a bash!
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Collaborative post