“I’m a Sleep Expert – Five Foods You Can Eat for a Better Night’s Rest”

We all know how important sleep is to our mood, energy levels and overall well-being, so what can you do to ensure we get a restful night’s sleep? With ‘Healthy Eating Week’ starting on June 10, sleep experts at Sleep seeker provided information on the foods and drinks you should incorporate into your diet to improve your sleep.

Anush Pervez, sleep expert at SleepSeeker commented: “We recommend aiming for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to help boost your immune system and keep your brain healthy. Sleep is not something that comes easily to many people and there are lots of different tips and tricks to help you sleep better . One factor that is often overlooked is how your diet can affect the quality of your sleep.

“The foods you eat and the timing of your meals can influence how easily you fall asleep and how restful your night is. A light snack before bed is recommended, especially for insomniacs, as a small amount of food in the body can help you sleep and will prevent any hunger-related disturbances.

“Everyone reacts to food differently, however as a general rule some products such as coffee and other caffeinated drinks should be limited to the early hours of the day to prevent any sleep disruption. Similarly, there are certain foods that we encourage you to incorporate into your meals and snacks in the later hours of the day.”

Five foods and drinks that can help you sleep better:

Turkey

Although it is not recommended to eat a large amount of protein right before going to bed, foods like turkey in moderation can help improve sleep quality and reduce disturbances. Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that increases melatonin levels in the body and helps with sleep.

Fatty fish

Incorporating fish, such as salmon or tuna, into your meals is an easy way to increase your vitamin D intake. A lack of vitamin D can increase your risk of sleep disturbances and difficulty sleeping, so in addition to making the effort to spend some outside, increasing the amount of vitamin D-rich foods in your diet can help improve sleep.

Herbal teas

Replacing one of your daily coffees with an herbal tea such as chamomile can also help improve sleep quality. Chamomile tea helps reduce anxiety, which in turn can lead to more restful sleep. Similarly, it contains antioxidants that are said to reduce insomnia.

Honey

Adding a small amount of honey to an afternoon snack or evening meal can also have sleep benefits. Honey contains the sugar glucose, which can decrease the brain’s level of orexin, a neuropeptide that regulates wakefulness.

NUTS

We recommend eating nuts such as walnuts and pistachios which, in addition to being rich in vitamins and minerals, are some of the richest foods in melatonin. Due to their high levels of melatonin, eating a handful of these nuts before bed can help improve sleep quality.