10 Foods To Help You Get Regular and Sound Sleep

A regular and sound sleep is one of the most important and most ignored factors in maintaining good health. As an added bonus, getting enough sleep can also help you slim down. According to a study published in the journal Obesity, women who report better sleep were 33 percent more likely to hit their weight-loss goals,
Many foods contain naturally occurring substances that bring on sleep.

Whether you're having some trouble catching shut-eye, or you just want to wake up feeling more refreshed in the morning, including these foods in your diet can help you add some good hours to your night’s sleep.

* Walnuts

Walnuts are a good source of tryptophan, a sleep-enhancing amino acid that helps make serotonin and melatonin, the “body clock” hormones that set your sleep-wake cycles. Additionally, University of Texas researchers found that walnuts contain their own source of melatonin, unlike other foods that help you sleep, which may help you fall asleep even faster

* Almonds

Almonds are rich in magnesium, a mineral needed for quality sleep (and for building bones). Adults who took a magnesium supplement before bed reported being able to fall asleep faster, getting more quality sleep at night, and being able to wake up on time more easily, according to a study published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. Almonds have the very same effect.

* Cheese and crackers

Calcium, found in cheese, yogurt, and milk, helps the brain use the tryptophan found in dairy to manufacture sleep-triggering melatonin. Additionally, calcium helps regulate muscle movements which means fewer sleep-busters like cramps or restless legs.

* Lettuce

A salad with dinner could speed up your bedtime. Lettuce contains lactucarium, which has sedative properties, according to a study published in Food Science and Biotechnology. Romaine lettuce has the highest content of this compound, making it ideal for sleep.Simmer three to four large lettuce leaves in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add two sprigs of mint, and sip just before you go to bed for a good night’s sleep.

* Kiwi

This green fruit may be the ultimate pre-bed snack. When volunteers ate two kiwis an hour before hitting the hay, they slept almost a full extra hour, found research from Taipei Medical University in Taiwan. Kiwis are full of vitamins C and E, serotonin and folate-all of which may help you snooze.

* Tuna

Vitamin b6 is the sleep vitamin, as your body needs it to make melatonin and serotonin. Fish such as tuna, halibut, and salmon are high in vitamin B6, as are raw garlic and pistachio nuts.

* Rice

White rice has a high glycaemic index, so eating it will significantly slash the time it takes you to fall asleep, according to the AJCN study.

* Yogurt

Dairy products like yogurt and milk boast healthy doses of calcium-and there's research that suggests being calcium-deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.

* Bananas

Bananas, well-known for being rich in potassium, are also a good source of Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is helpful in activating, serotonin, the relaxing hormone, which is partly made from the amino acid tryptophan. Bananas are also packed with magnesium, serotonin, and melatonin, which all help promote sleep in their own way.

* Cherry Juice

A glass of cherry juice could make you fall asleep faster, according to a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. Tart cherries naturally boost levels of melatonin. In the study, subjects who drank cherry juice experienced some improvement in their insomnia symptoms compared to those who drank a placebo beverage.