• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Family Focus Blog

Top family blog by Nashville mom blogger

  • Crafts & Activities
  • Home Decor
  • Green Living
  • Family Food
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Health
  • Parenting
    • Baby
    • Toddlers
    • Parenting Tips
    • Teens
  • Family Travel
You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Foods To Help Sleep [And Which Foods Hinder Sleep]

Foods To Help Sleep [And Which Foods Hinder Sleep]

January 31, 2013 by Scarlet

13shares
  • Share 5
  • Tweet
  • Yum
  • Mix

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a magic combination of foods you could eat (or avoid) to ensure a restful night’s sleep? You might be surprised to know that there’s not much research to back up the claims about specific foods and sleep. However, there are a few foods that are sleep promoters and few foods that are sleep stealers that you should know about.  Here are six foods to help sleep and 3 foods which hinder your ability to sleep.

6 foods for trouble sleeping- 3 foods to help sleep and 3 foods which hinder your ability to sleep
Now will know what to eat more of before bedtime and which foods to avoid that hinder your ability to sleep.

Foods To Help Sleep

Cherries

Get some snoozing help from fresh cherries or cherry juice. One study showed that elderly patients who drank fresh, tart cherry juice twice a day had an easier time falling asleep. Other studies have shown that eating fresh cherries just might help you stay asleep longer and wake up less during the night.

Kiwis

If it’s wintertime and cherries are hard to come by, look around your local grocery store for kiwifruit since they are another of the foods that aid sleep. Don’t be put off by the fuzzy brown exterior: When in season, kiwi can be deliciously sweet. You’ll want a fruit with a little bit of give — kind of like a pear — not too hard but not mushy, either. To eat, simply cut the kiwifruit in half and use a spoon to scoop out the bright green goodness. Or use the edge of your spoon to peel away the brown fuzz, then slice the fruit into a fruit salad. Research shows that if you eat two kiwi fruits about an hour before bedtime, you might have longer, higher-quality zz’s.

Milk

It’s true, milk can help you fall asleep — but only if the milk has a high concentration of naturally occurring melatonin. In other words, the milk has to come from a cow that’s milked at night, in darkness. If you happen to own a dairy farm, you’re in luck. Otherwise, milk might not help as much as you’d hoped.

Which Foods Hinder Your Ability To Sleep

Blue Cheese

There’s a tricky amino acid called tyramine in blue cheese (and other aged cheeses, smoked meats, and even soy sauce). Too much tyramine can cause your brain to release a stimulant that’ll make you feel jumpy and give you strange dreams — the opposite of what you need at bedtime. Tyramine can also cause a “cheese headache” or even a migraine for some.

Energy Drinks

Beware the temptation to perk up with an energy drink — especially if you’re tired. The ingredients in drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and 5-Hour Energy may give you a temporary lift, but the long-term consequences might not be worth it. Studies show that, even if you have your energy drink early in the day, its combination of caffeine and taurine can disrupt your sleep. You should also know that there’s heightened concern about energy drinks lately, particularly energy shots marketed to older adults, as they’re connected to increased emergency room visits.

Chocolate

Many people are increasingly sensitive to caffeine as they get older, and even the caffeine in chocolate may prevent a restful nights sleep. You may want to skip that chocolate snack before bedtime.

Conclusion

I hope this information on foods that aid sleep help you get a better night’s rest. What foods help you sleep? What seems to hinder your ability to sleep?

Related Posts:

Essential Oil Recipe For Sleep(Opens in a new browser tab)

How To Make A Toddler Bedtime Routine

Why Sleep Is So Important And Best Sleeping Aids

13shares
  • Share 5
  • Tweet
  • Yum
  • Mix

Filed Under: Health, Lifestyle Tagged With: sleeping tips

Primary Sidebar

Let's Be Friends!

Welcome To Family Focus Blog

Family Blogger
Thanks for reading Family Focus Blog, which has been named a top family blog for parenting resources. It was created by Nashville mom blogger, Scarlet Paolicchi, to share tips for better family life, parenting, family fun activities, eco-friendly lifestyle, family food ideas, family travel, and home decor. Family Focus Blog has been named #3 in Cision PR’s 50 U.S. Top Mom Blog list.

Footer

Popular Posts

Benefits Of Spending Time With Family
Inspirational Quotes About Family Strength
Essential Oil Recipes
Characteristics Of A Role Model
Big Dream Quotes For You And Your Child
How To Start A Blog For Income

Disclosure

Family Focus Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. We also accept forms of cash advertising and sponsorship. We disclose material relationships and share honest opinions.
Privacy Policy

Copyright

© Scarlet Paolicchi and Family Focus Blog, 2010-2021. Short excerpts of this family blog may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Family Focus Blog with link back to the original content. Duplicating a whole post is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2021