Improve Sleep Quality With Food

There are so many people out there who are suffering from a sleep disorder. Most of them are not able to sleep because of their day to day stress or due to some medical conditions. To lead a healthy life, sleep is as important as a balanced diet. There are some foods linked with improving sleep quality and can give you relief from disturbed sleep. 

Tryptophan: It is an essential amino acid that gets covered into serotonin and then into melatonin which plays an important role in your natural sleep-wake cycle. 

Some of the foods loaded with tryptophan:

• Dairy products (milk, low-fat yogurt, cheese)
• Poultry (turkey, chicken)
• Seafood (shrimp, salmon, tuna, sardines)
• Nuts and seeds (flax, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts)
• Legumes (kidney beans, lima beans, black beans, chickpeas)
• Fruits (apples, bananas, peaches, avocado)
• Vegetables (spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus, onions)
• Grains (wheat, rice, barley, corn, oats)

Magnesium: It is a natural relaxant that helps to deactivate adrenaline. A lack of magnesium can be directly linked to staying asleep.

Excellent sources of magnesium are:

• Dark leafy greens (baby spinach, kale, collard greens)
• Nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, pine nuts, flaxseed)
• Wheat germ
• Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel)
• Soybean
• Banana
• Avocado
• Low-fat yogurt

Calcium: Helps the brain make melatonin. Calcium-rich diets have been shown to help with insomnia. Dairy products that contain both tryptophan and calcium are the best sleep inducers.

Sources of calcium include:

• Dairy products
• Small fishes (eaten along with bones)
• Fortified cereals grains
• Soybean
• Seeds (poppy, sesame, celery and chia seeds)
• Broccoli, Amaranth

Vitamin B6: Helps to convert tryptophan into melatonin. A deficiency is linked with low serotonin levels and poor sleep which can lead to insomnia. 

Highest sources of B6 are:

• Sunflower seeds
• Pistachio nuts
• Flaxseed
• Fish (tuna, salmon)
• Poultry
• Dried Prunes
• Bananas
• Avocado
• Spinach