What to eat and drink before bed
Not getting a good night's sleep? Life's stresses – kids, family and work – are well-known barriers to getting adequate shut-eye. And research shows that women are more likely to suffer from insomnia than men. We can thank fluctuating hormone levels for disrupting our sleep patterns, whether as a result of PMS, menstruation, pregnancy or menopause. But I have some secrets from the pantry that will help send you off to dreamland.
Eating foods rich in the hormone melatonin is one good-sleep strategy. Studies on the elderly point to sleep benefits from consuming tart cherries or cherry juice, which are a super source of melatonin. (Look for cherry juice in health food stores.) Research shows that the production of melatonin can slow as we age, and low levels of this hormone can go hand-in-hand with insomnia.
Timing is everything
Another tactic is to eat foods high in carbohydrates – instead of high-protein foods – in the evening. Having carbohydrates such as pasta and bread for dinner, or eating popcorn, whole grain cereal or crackers, or a piece of fruit before bed, will increase production of sleep-inducing serotonin in your brain.
Most protein-containing foods can keep you alert by blocking serotonin production. But, paradoxically, one particular amino acid (a building-block of protein), called tryptophan, produces serotonin. So eating low-protein foods high in tryptophan can aid sleep.
It's the tryptophan in milk that has given the beverage its reputation as a remedy for insomnia. In fact, there doesn't seem to be enough tryptophan in milk to send you to lullaby-land. But you can concoct a sleep cocktail by adding some quickly digested carbohydrates, such as a spoonful of honey. A mug of hot milk with honey before bed may make for a sweet sleep indeed! Or have your nightly milk with other tryptophan-containing choices – such as oatmeal, bananas, peanuts and sesame seeds – and there may be enough tryptophan in your nighttime snack to help you snooze.
