What Food Helps You Sleep Better?

What Foods Help You Sleep Better- Vegan Friendly

“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” – Benjamin Franklin.

A good night’s sleep is something that some of us might not always have, especially during these times when the uncertainties of tomorrow keep us awake. Lack of sleep can affect our lives tremendously. It can cause constant irritability, sadness, and sometimes even depression. This article will discuss what food helps you sleep better that is also vegan friendly, which will hopefully help you get a good night’s sleep.

 

What Food Help Improve Sleep – 7 Vegan-Friendly Options

There are numerous foods out there that can help you sleep better. However, keep in mind that an intake of foods that will help improve sleep will never replace a doctor’s advice. This is true especially for serious sleep problems like long-term insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. 

Suppose you have a hard time sleeping at night and know that it is not that serious. In that case, taking in a healthy amount of vegan-friendly food high in melatonin and other minerals will surely help you sleep better.

 

• Goji Berries

Goji berries, a fruit native to Asia called wolfberries, have been used in alternative medicine for more than 2,000 years. A 2016 research conducted on rats showed that an intake of goji berries could decrease anxiety and depression-like behaviors.

Another study showed that an intake of Goji berry juice showed numerous benefits like calmness, greater quality of sleep, and ease of awakening.

You can eat this delicious fruit as a snack or even juice before sleeping to help you sleep better.

 

 

• Bananas

Another fruit that answers the question “What food help improve sleep” is the banana. Bananas contain vitamin B6 that helps our body convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. Serotonin control’s our body’s melatonin production, which can significantly improve our quality of sleep. While Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate your body clock by helping you feel drowsy in the evening. A lack of melatonin may make falling asleep more challenging to do. 

By eating a banana before bed, you may ensure that your body has all the nutrients it requires to relax and fall asleep naturally at night.

 

 

• Carbohydrate Rich Foods

Have you ever eaten bread or a yummy donut and gotten a spike of energy but felt drowsy afterward? Carbohydrate-rich diets induce a surge in blood sugar levels, which stimulates the creation of insulin by the body to bring them back down to normal levels. The rise in blood sugar levels is why people get a rush of energy and a feeling of tiredness and fatigue after eating carbohydrate-rich foods. 

At night, this tiredness can be highly beneficial, making toast the ideal late-night snack option. Along with the release of insulin comes the production of tryptophan and serotonin, two brain chemicals that promote relaxation and anxiety reduction.

However, you should avoid overeating carbs at night because they might make you feel too full, preventing you from sleeping earlier. A toast or a donut as a snack before bed is one of my suggestions to help you sleep better at night.

1. Potatoes

Another type of food that answers the question – of what food helps you sleep better is the potato. It is a carbohydrate rich-food which, as we talked about earlier, carbohydrate-rich foods make us feel sleepy whenever our body is digesting it. Potatoes also contain tryptophan, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods, which helps to promote sleepiness. I have included an easy way to include potatoes to your dinner that is also yummy too!

 

Easy Baked Potato Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium potato that is perfect for baking
• 1 teaspoon of your preferred oil (Mine’s Olive Oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (this can be sea salt or any salt you like)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of vegan butter
• ½ cup of shredded vegan cheese
• 1 pinch of ground black pepper

 

How to Prepare:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit or 
2. Scrub your potato using a vegetable brush, or if you don’t have one, a dish towel will do. 
3. After drying the potato, pierce the skin of the potato several times using a fork. 
4. Rub the skin with olive oil (or even grapeseed oil) and then rub with salt.
5. Place your potato in the oven and bake for 60 minutes, or until soft and golden brown. 
6. Slice the potato, serve with a generous amount of butter and black pepper. 
7. Sprinkle some vegan cheese while still hot so that it melts.

 

Please let me know if you tried this simple recipe and if you liked it too. 

 

• Almonds

A large amount of melatonin is present in almonds, a hormone that helps regulate the sleeping and waking cycle. According to the USDA, a 1oz serving of whole almonds contains 76.5mg of magnesium and 76.3mg of calcium, which are beneficial in aiding a person to sleep better at night. 

Almonds are also a fantastic evening snack if you have difficulty sleeping since they have low sugar content and contain healthy fats.

 

 

 

• Kiwi

Kiwis are a fantastic fruit to snack on if you are having difficulty sleeping. It is low in calories and a delicious treat.

In a study with 24 participants ranging from twenty to fifty-five years old, the participants consumed two kiwi fruits 1 hour before bedtime nightly for four weeks. The study shows that the participants who ate kiwi waking time after sleep onset significantly decreased sleep onset latency. Total sleep time and quality of sleep increased, which indicated that the consumption of Kiwi fruit could substantially help people with insomnia. 

Not only is this fruit delicious but, it can also greatly assist you in sleeping earlier.

 

 

• Soy Milk

Soy milk is a delicious treat to have before sleeping, which can also help you have a better night’s rest. Soybeans contain tryptophan, just like cow’s milk. Various research has shown that drinking soy milk can help you become sleepy easier by improving the body’s Melatonin levels. A glass of soy milk before bedtime will help achieve a night of restful sleep.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion:

After reading the article, I hope you now have a better idea of what food helps you sleep better and what food help improve sleep. Eating a healthy amount of the foods mentioned above will surely help you gain much-needed rest, ensuring a better quality of life. 

If you ever want to read more articles regarding managing sleep problems, especially for the elderly, here is an article that I would recommend. 

 

 

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