5 Foods That Help Fight Insomnia
Do you suffer from insomnia? If so, what you eat could have something to do with it. Here are a list of 5 foods that may help.
Although I, personally, rarely have insomnia anymore now that I have a large garden (LOL!), I am very familiar with the anguish of this condition, having struggled with sleep for many months a few years back. It truly is one of the most debilitating experiences that one can have, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone!
Summer can be especially problematic for insomnia-sufferers, with long, bright days, and hot nights.
While drugs are available for treatment, they often cause even worse side effects than what they are designed to treat, and can seriously throw your systems out of whack.
While stress is typically the number one cause of insomnia, eating foods full of sugar, caffeine, or gluten, or drinking alcohol, can also contribute to the problem. Avoiding these foods, and including more healthy foods – especially those that improve sleep – is an important first step to getting back to a healthy sleep cycle.
When I had trouble sleeping, I tried numerous natural remedies, and while some worked better than others, I found that diet did impact the problem to some degree. Not all of these will work for everyone, and you will probably have to experiment with several different strategies to find what works best for you.
Here are a few foods that are purported to have sleep-enhancing effects, and that may help you break the pattern of insomnia.
Almonds
Almonds are one of the best foods for treating insomnia since they’re excellent sources of magnesium, which is a natural muscle relaxant and contains anti-stress properties….
Cherries
Cherries and cherry products have often been linked to improved sleep. For example, a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition in December 2012 found that volunteers who consumed a tart cherry juice concentrate for seven days demonstrated “significantly elevated” total melatonin content in their urine compared to the control group. Consequently, the study group experienced improved sleep quality and efficiency.
Bananas
Many people are often surprised to find that bananas can aid sleep, since they’re well-known for boosting energy. Nonetheless, bananas are also rich in magnesium, potassium and tryptophan, which are the “magic trio” of sleep boosters. Tryptophan is especially effective in this regard since it is the precursor to the two neurotransmitters, serotonin and melatonin, which modulate sleep.
Valerian
The root of the valerian plant, which is usually consumed in tea or tincture form, has been used as a sleeping aid since Ancient Greece and Rome. Moreover, its sedative and anxiolytic properties have been proven by numerous studies….
Oatmeal
Although oatmeal is usually associated with breakfast, its nutritional composition — high in magnesium and potassium — also makes it a suitable evening food….
Read the full article at Healthy Holistic Living…
