Looking up good foods for sleep, we’ve found an overlap in the advice and found some foods to help you sleep.

There are five main chemicals that come up when you try to find sleep-friendly foods. Melatonin is the first, the one that regulates when our body prepares for sleep. Tryptophan is processed into Serotonin and then turned into Melatonin. Calcium helps the brain use tryptophan and B6 helps the conversion of it. Last of all, Magnesium works to deactivate our adrenaline and relax us.

The first few foods, Walnuts, Peanuts, and Grains (such as rice, oats, barley, and corn) have Melatonin and Tryptophan!

While nuts probably aren't what first comes to mind when you think of sleep inducing foods, it's more than just peanuts and walnuts. Magnesium and Tryptophan are in Cashews.

If you need more of a reason to tell your kids to eat their veggies, remember that Melatonin and Calcium can be found in Broccoli!

You might have heard drinking warm milk can help you sleep. Turns out, it does! Tryptophan and Calcium can be found in dairy products. (And warm foods or liquids can help relax your body)

Avocado’s were a hot trend for a number of reasons, but an overlooked bonus is the presence of Magnesium and B6.

Wondering which fruits to have for dessert? Bananas have Tryptophan, Magnesium, and B6 (and could go great with that sweet frozen dairy product, ice cream).

You've heard of the superfood Kale, but more than that, Dark Leafy Greens (such as Kale, Spinach, etc) contain Calcium, Magnesium, and B6.

A surprising winner in the research, Sunflower Seeds seemed the best source of sleepy chemicals for your body, having Melatonin, Tryptophan, Magnesium, and B6.

We hope these fun eating tips can help you achieve better sleep!

 

 

Written by Alexis Borquez

 

Sources:

Taylor, Marygrace. "Better Sleep and Breathing." 7 Foods for a Great Night’s Sleep | Sleep Apnea.

Roberts, Catherine. "6 Foods That Can Help Soothe Sleep Apnea." ActiveBeat.

Phillips, Kevin. "Foods for Sleep: A List of The Best and Worst Foods for Getting Sleep." Alaska Sleep Clinic.

"Insomnia: Studies Suggest Calcium And Magnesium Effective." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 08 Sept. 2009.

"Melatonin - Overview." WebMD. WebMD.