We explained to you how important it was to monitor your diet in the evening to avoid sleep problems. Indeed, certain foods harm the quality of sleep and prevent you from sleeping peacefully at night. In particular, they can cause digestion problems or have exciting effects that can disrupt your sleep cycles. But certain foods can have the opposite effect and help you sleep better. Here are the foods that promote sleep, limit the resulting drowsiness during the day and eliminate insomnia! Without sleeping pills, you will promote a good night of restful sleep and you will feel lighter to sink into the arms of Morpheus. Your hours of sleep will thus be more synonymous with relaxation and less insomnia!
Foods for good sleep to eat in the evening
1) Rice
An American study has proven it: those who eat rice with their evening meal put half the time to fall asleep than others. Its assimilation by the body is very slow, digestion is therefore just as long and does not produce no blood sugar spike. Thanks to it, we fall asleep quickly and longer lasting. It seems that Thai rice is the best of all rices in this area.
2) Potatoes, amazing foods to promote sleep
Like other starchy foods, they have a low glycemic index and they are rich in starch, a type of carbohydrate that helps with sleep. This also allows brace yourself well so you don’t want to wake up during the night because you’re hungry. This also applies to sweet potatoes and parsnips for example. However, avoid the puree in the eveningbecause this method of preparation breaks down the fibers and transforms the starch into sugar with a high glycemic index.
3) Pasta, other basic foods for good sleep
Just like rice, cereals such as bulgur and quinoa or even wholemeal bread, pasta is a good choice for the evening meal. They contain carbohydrates with a low glycemic index which allow you to settle down well (and therefore avoid nighttime snacking) without increasing your blood sugar. Carbohydrates secrete insulin, then serotonin and finally melatonin to allow good sleep. If you are hesitant, know that the whole wheat pasta are the best for sleeping well! You can also take rye bread, which is better than white bread.
4) The banana
For many, a glass of hot milk in the evening is the best way to get a good dose of tryptophan (precursor of serotonin). However, certain fruits such as dates, mangoes or bananas would be even more effective. Banana is particularly appreciated for its contribution of magnesium and potassium which relaxes the muscles and for its richness in the sleep hormone (melatonin). Moreover, it is the main ingredient of the natural sleeping pill recipe that we shared with you in the past!
5) Oily fish
With its richness in tyrosine (an amino acid which has an exciting effect on metabolism), red meat is not not recommended in the evening for protein intake. However, it can easily be replaced by white meat (chicken fillet) or even better, fatty fish! Along with your starchy foods, eat foods that promote good sleep by providing vitamins B6, tryptophan and/or omega-3 : sardines, salmon, halibut, mackerel or even tuna will help you get to sleep. Let us remember that rapeseed oil or linseed oil are also rich in omega-3, important for sleep and the brain.
6) Cherries, among the best fruits (and foods in general) for good sleep
Treat yourself when it’s the season! Like cashews, grapes, tomatoes or olives, cherries are one of the rare foods that naturally contains melatonin (the famous sleep hormone). A British study dating from 2011 confirmed by another study in 2014 had also shown the interest of cherry juice treatment (especially morello cherries) to help you fall asleep.
7) Legumes to improve sleep quality
They are metabolized slowly and provide sedative effect appreciated in the evening. For a complete and balanced meal, you can combine their proteins with vegetables as well as cereals. Lentils, beans, peas and other beans are yours!
8) Seeds
They are more and more popular and enhance salads, yogurts, soups, honey, etc. In addition to being good for health, the seeds are a good source of tryptophanthe amino acid that synthesizes the sleep hormone. Pumpkin seeds are particularly suitable. However, you can really vary the pleasures with flax, chia, poppy, sunflower, hemp, sesame, mustard seeds…
9) Decaffeinated green tea
Since the coffee is not recommended from 4 p.m.some fall back on green tea. However, this one also contains caffeine ! However, decaffeinated green tea relaxes the muscles and helps soothe the anxieties that grip the mind before going to bed.
10) To calm a sugar craving
In our article presenting foods to avoid during dinner, we mentioned sweets and chocolate (containing caffeine). If you feel like sugar, we recommend fresh fruit instead for a supply of fructose (sugar with a low glycemic index)! Just note that some other fruits are very bad for sleep. Therefore prefer consume them during the day to ensure you sleep well !
In addition to these foods, here are some good eating practices for good sleep
In addition to simple foods, there are some good dietary practices to promote quality sleep and really sleep better in cases of insomnia by creating conditions favorable to relaxation and falling asleep more quickly.
-As already mentioned, it is necessary in particular limit caffeine and stimulants. The caffeine present in coffee, tea, certain sodas and even chocolate is in fact a stimulant that can disrupt sleep for up to six hours after consumption. Therefore, prefer to avoid these drinks after 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.
-It is also absolutely necessary avoid heavy meals in the evening ! Eating too much before bed strains digestion and can cause discomfort such as gastric reflux. Instead, opt for a light dinner consisting of vegetables, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates for satiety without heaviness.
-THE spicy foods, too fatty or too sweet can also cause digestive discomfort and make it more difficult to fall asleep. In the evening, prefer more neutral foods to avoid stimulating the body.
-Also, it is necessary hydrate well during the daybecause dehydration can disrupt sleep. However, to avoid having to get up at night to urinate, reduce fluids in the hours before bed.
-Finally, try toestablish a regular eating routine. Indeed, consistent meal times help to better regulate the circadian rhythm, thus helping the body to naturally adapt to the sleep-wake cycle.
And besides diet, how to sleep well?
Finding quality sleep without waking up at night requires some daily adjustments to your lifestyle. In addition to food and practicing regular physical activityyou should be wary of blue light from screens before going to bed. Better ban screens from the bedroom to limit the temptation to want to watch them before sleeping. Also respect always the same bedtime so that your internal clock gets used to it. You can also take a herbal tea of valerian, passionflower, lemon balm or chamomile for a soothing bedtime for all sleepers… With a small infusion that helps you sleep and foods that make it easier to fall asleep, sleep problems are quickly forgotten ! So these are remedies for better sleep that you shouldn’t miss!