If you cannot fall asleep that night, although you have already tried everything – from watching your favorite TV shows to light sedatives, you have two options: learn how to cope with stress or revise your diet. If only the psychologist can help you with the first, then we are ready to give practical advice regarding the diet. Revision 23-59 has collected information and is ready to tell you which products are used to remove sleep and which ones work better than any sleeping pills.
Food that is not worth eating at night
Spicy: frankly, we would generally advise you to refuse dishes with spices or hot spices. Not only do their pungent taste tease our appetite and provoke to eat more than we want, they also cause unpleasant taste consequences in the form of heartburn and high acidity. If you are such a big fan of Thai cuisine, then taste it at lunch time. Otherwise, after – she will not let herself be forgotten even at night, taking on the responsible role of a sleep irritant.
Black or green tea: a cup of tea for the night, which has become an obligatory ritual for us, is good only if it is herbal tea. Traditional black and green teas are full of caffeine and are known for their invigorating effect, which is sometimes more powerful than coffee.
Bacon and other smoked meats: part with the habit of eating a hearty and fragrant burger with a generous layer of bacon if you want to keep not only a dream, but also your almost ideal weight. The high concentration of proteins and fats in smoked or fried meat requires huge energy costs for the body to digest. Therefore, while your stomach tries to cope with heavy foods, it will definitely not let you relax and fall asleep.
Hard cheese: most hard cheese contains the beneficial substance tyramine and essential amino acids that arouse brain activity and bring your best ideas to mind. Impressive, huh? But since in the dark, when you want to get rid of all thoughts and fall into a deep sleep, such intense brain work is useless for you – leave cheese for a sandwich for breakfast. We are sure that your brilliant ideas will be tolerated until the morning.
Chocolate: we are well aware of the feeling when a hard day, full of unfair claims from superiors, stupid quarrels with a guy, annoying traffic jams and the desire to hit someone, I want to eat a piece of your favorite chocolate. We explain why this is not worth it. Firstly, chocolate still can’t solve any of your life’s problems, and it’s completely put aside in the form of a touching fold at the waist. Secondly, chocolate contains a large amount of caffeine and theobromine, which instead of reassuring you and sending you to bed, will excite the nervous system. And admit, it won’t end in anything good?
Food that helps you fall asleep
Dairy products: you have probably heard that a glass of warm milk before bedtime helps relieve stress and get rid of insomnia. It really is. But the result will be even more convincing if you add a little slow carbohydrates to it – for example, a couple of crackers, cereal cookies or cottage cheese. Such a simple dinner will not only calm the shaken nerves, but will return you to your childhood for a moment.
Nuts: if in the daytime we find the strength to resist the temptation to eat something sweet, then in the evening this desire only intensifies and thereby prevents sleep. Nuts will help save the situation – they are the best alternative to sweets. Before going to bed, it is better to enjoy a handful of almonds or walnuts that contain serotonin and melatonin – the most “soothing” hormones.
Jasmine Rice: Foodies suffering from insomnia can experiment with jasmine rice for dinner. Or with basmati rice more popular in our supermarkets. These rice varieties have a delicate aroma and high glycemic index, which raises blood sugar and quickly “switches” you to sleep mode.
Cherry juice: fruit juices contain an impressive amount of sugar, so they may well pass for a serving of your favorite dessert. Of course, adherents of a healthy diet and those who follow the figure advise to exclude juices from the diet altogether. But cherry juice can be considered an exception and take it as a cure for insomnia. The secret is that cherry juice contains melatonin, a hormone that regulates the “internal clock” and helps to fall asleep. It is especially needed for travel enthusiasts who change time zones more often than sleeping underwear.
Mint tea: many herbal preparations have a calming and hypnotic effect. But mint is the most proven and cheapest of them. Mint leaves produce an almost magical substance – lactacarium. What is important, it provides not just sleep, but deep sleep, being a natural substitute for such a popular drug for insomnia, such as ambien, for example. Try to drink a cup of mint tea at night for, say, a month, and you will see how the quality of sleep changes, fatigue disappears and the morning becomes much more pleasant.
