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Yum Yums for Dreamland: 4 Foods That Will Help You Sleep

If you are like the majority of the world, falling asleep at night can be quite a challenge. Staying asleep has it’s obstacles, as well. We spend the day at work or at play, love on our families, run errands, cook and clean, and by the end of the day, our brain is still going so fast it simply doesn’t matter how exhausted our body is.

That’s on a good day. There are some of us who have so much on our mind before bed, we literally have to write it all down on just to clear space in our head to sleep.

While some people have no other option but to use medication to find a good night’s sleep, there are other ways to rediscover the road to Dreamland. Our diet is one of them. Below are four foods that can send you on to the rest of your dreams.

Walnuts

Here in the week after Thanksgiving, there is a friend that we are all well acquainted with by now. Turkey is famous for it’s sleep inducing quality brought on by tryptophan, the sleep-enhancing amino acid, it is loaded with.

The only meat higher is that of an elk. With that said, it’s not a great idea to have a full three course meal right before bed, but a handful of walnuts could give you the same sleepy effect. The tryptophan in walnuts is perfect for assisting your body in creating serotonin and melatonin.

Both are necessary in order for your body to stay on a regular sleep schedule. In addition to helping you get a good night’s rest, walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids that are great for heart health. They prevent osteoarthritis through improving calcium saturation, improve metabolism, and reduce inflammation, too.

Rice

Rice has been the go-to meal of countless civilizations for centuries. It is filling and wholesome. It may not be the best thing to eat if you are trying to lose weight, but it can be extremely useful if bedtime is eluding you on a daily basis.

The high glycemic index of rice is what will do you in if you’re looking for a natural sleep aid. You may have heard of something call a B.R.A.T. diet. This stands for bananas, rice, apples, and toast. This diet is usually recommended to people who are having issues such as vomiting and diarrhea.

One of the reasons it is suggested is that these foods all have a high glycemic index. This means they are easy to digest and the carbohydrates they contain get released into the body faster which raises your blood sugar quickly. We’ve all heard the term sugar coma. While an actual coma is not what we are aiming for, rice is a good way to induce a minor one and find your lost hours of sleep.

Milk

Everyone who is anyone has probably heard the old wives tale of how a cup of warm milk can help put you to sleep. Guess what. It’s true, but it doesn’t have to be warm and any dairy product will do. This is because of milk’s high levels of calcium.

The calcium found in dairy products of all kinds acts like a proper doorman to the amino-acid, tryptophan. It makes it easy for the brain to utilize the tryptophan to make the serotonin and melatonin needed to help you nod off.

Along with helping the Sandman do his job, the calcium in milk is great for maintaining strong teeth and bones, lessens premenstrual depression, helps control blood pressure, and regulates muscle movement.  

Lettuce

Yes. The ultimate rabbit food could send you off to a wonderful night on the town in Dreamland. Most of us don’t consider the base of a great salad to be similar to any drug induced action, but the fact of the matter is that when consumed, lettuce has an effect on the brain similar to that of opium.

This is because it contains lactucarium, often referred to as lettuce opium. This chemical compound acts a very potent sedative. This property is also used in medicines like cough syrup and lozenges, and has even been marketed in nicotine-free cigarettes.

Of course, this is all besides the fact that lettuce is a wonderful dietary aid to losing weight, helps alleviate anxiety and inflammatory conditions, and lowers your cholesterol.   

Nodding of the sleep at night doesn’t have to be an Olympic event. Refer to this list of simple sedatives the next time you have trouble finding the turnoff to Dreamland.

Sam Roberts
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