A good night’s sleep is an essential part of your whole health. It helps you feel rested, recharged and ready to face the day to come. Your habits, including what you eat, can greatly impact the quality of sleep you get each night. Here are some foods, drinks and snacks that can help you catch the ZZZs you need to feel your best in body, mind and spirit.
Turkey - Turkey is a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that increases melatonin, a hormone that’s released by the pineal gland and helps us fall asleep (and stay asleep) each night.
Hummus - The main ingredient in hummus, chickpeas, is high in many nutrients that can promote a good night’s sleep. These include tryptophan, folate and vitamin B6. Folate, a nutrient that’s also linked to an improved mood, has also been connected to better sleep, particularly among older adults.
Peanut Butter - Peanut butter is another great source of tryptophan. Grab a no-sugar-added or natural version next time you’re at the store, spread some on whole-grain bread or crackers and drift off to dreamland.
Cereal and Milk - A favorite way to start the day, cereal and milk can also be a great way to get ready for bed. That’s because milk has tryptophan, the powerhouse amino acid that can help you fall asleep. Combine that with the carbohydrates in cereal, which help carry tryptophan to the brain, and you have a recipe for a good ZZZs. Just be sure to skip the sugary cereals and opt for a healthy alternative instead.
Green Tea - Sipping a cup of warm, caffeine-free green tea is not only calming, it also contains impressive health properties that have been linked to a good night’s sleep.
Cherries - While most foods only help aid the production of melatonin, cherries actually contain this sleep-regulating hormone. Have a bowl of cherries as a bedtime snack and see if you drift off to bed a little easier.
Walnuts - Walnuts are another good source of naturally occurring melatonin. In addition to helping support your sleep cycle, walnuts can also help lower stress levels.
These tips, provided by our research partner, AdventHealth, are available to you and others in the Lake Nona community to help make positive impacts on our health.
Another way you can make a difference is by taking the Lake Nona Life Project survey. We can’t do it alone. We need partners like you. Take the survey today.