- checking login information
Loading...5 Foods That Help You Sleep
- Caring.com, supporting caregivers
- April 1, 2011
- 5:01 pm
- 223 comments
By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor
Should you let yourself have that midnight snack if you’re having trouble sleeping and you think hunger might be part of the problem? Here are five foods that can actually help you drift off:
1. Cherries. Fresh and dried cherries are one of the only natural food sources of melatonin, the chemical that controls the body’s internal clock to regulate sleep. Researchers who tested tart cherries and found high levels of melatonin recommend eating them an hour before bedtime or before a trip when you want to sleep on the plane.
2. Bananas. Potassium and magnesium are natural muscle relaxants, and bananas are a good source of both. They also contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which gets converted to 5-HTP in the brain. The 5-HTP in turn is converted to serotonin (a relaxing neurotransmitter) and melatonin.
5 Foods That Help You Sleep originally appeared on Caring.com.
Read more: Diet & Nutrition, Eating for Health, Food, General Health, Health, Insomnia, Women's Health, eating, food, health, nutrition, sleep, stress
Caring.com, supporting caregivers
Caring.com was created to help you care for your aging parents, grandparents, and other loved ones. As the leading destination for eldercare resources on the Internet, our mission is to give you the information and services you need to make better decisions, save time, and feel more supported. Caring.com provides the practical information, personal support, expert advice, and easy-to-use tools you need during this challenging time.
-
5 Foods That Sabotage Your Sleep
357 comments -
Do You Get Enough Sleep? Quiz
140 comments -
Sleep Sweetly with Sleep Pillows
93 comments
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
If I could get there I would volunteer to help them! I hope there are volunteers that can step in an…
Have the meowiest of birthdays, Maru!!! *kittyhug1*
Thank you for sharing.
so innocent , loving and trusting !
great
223 comments
+ add your ownvery interesting, thanks:)
good to know
Thanks, I am feeling sleepy zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
thanks for sharing
Waaaaait a minute. Oatmeal is on this list AND the "foods that wake you up" list. Explain thyself, Care2!
Thank you
Apples work for me too
Very interesting!Thanks!
i hate university
Any of these things must be eaten in moderation by a diabetic. They make everyone sleepy, but if you're diabetic you feel ill at the same time.
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment
20