Good quality sleep is needed for good health. Not only does it keep you alert and focused while you’re awake, but your body also needs this critical rest period to heal itself.
The magic sleep number for adults is between 7-9 hours each night.
Unfortunately, research on sleep patterns indicates that not only are many adults not getting this amount of sleep each night, the average hours of sleep per night have been decreasing over the last few decades.
And besides simple lack of sleep, there’s another aspect to consider: the quality of rest you’re getting.
You may have the best intentions to get a good 8 hours of sleep but find yourself lying awake or tossing and turning throughout the night. When you wake up the next morning, it doesn’t feel like you slept much at all.
Fortunately, there are natural changes you can make, like eating foods to help with sleep. Specific foods contain nutrients that promote sleepiness as well as better quality, deeper rest.
Tips for Eating Foods to Help with Sleep
Eating the right kinds of food can help you get better quality sleep, but how you eat also matters.
Having a large meal right before bed isn’t a good idea, even if you’re eating foods on this list. It means your digestive system will be active right when you are trying to fall asleep.
You can, however, eat sleep foods with dinner or have them as a small snack a few hours before going to bed. The same goes for herbal tea and tart cherry juice. Drink them 2-3 hours before sleeping so that you don’t have to make a bathroom trip in the middle of the night.
Most of these foods should be eaten in the evening for the greatest benefit. Tryptophan-containing foods can be eaten throughout the day to make sure your intake of this amino acid is adequate.
03/30/2021 by Brian Vaszily
