Are you having troubled sleep? Did you know that the foods you eat for dinner have an impact on the quality of sleep you get? If you are prepared to reduce the tossing and turning you experience all night long, read on for tips on how changing your diet plan can help you get more restful sleep.

According to experts, about 50 million Americans do not get quality sleep. It is also known that a normal human being spends about a third of their life in bed. This is the reason people who get a good night’s rest have happier lives, sharper brains, stronger immune systems, and have lower risks of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Adding the following foods to your diet will help you develop better sleep and enjoy all the benefits that brings.

Bananas

Bananas are wonderfully sweet with creamy and firm flesh and prepackaged in their own yellow wrapper. This fruit is grown in almost every part of this world and banana harvests are available all year long.

This fruit is both delicious and extremely healthy, and is a very convenient snack food. There are many ways to enjoy this nutritious fruit: you can mash them and add to bread slices or muffins, add slices to your fruit salad, granola or cereal, or even eat it alone.

Bananas contains a number of vital nutrients that contribute to quality sleep. This fruit has high levels of potassium, which is a good muscle relaxant, and prevents the occurrence of muscle cramps during bed time. Potassium also promotes a healthy body fluid balance.

Magnesium is also found in bananas and is vital in promoting good sleep. Bananas also contain a high content of vitamin B6, which is used to make the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. The high fiber content of this fruit aids in digestion and due to the high carbohydrate content, Bananas make you fall to sleep almost instantly when you get to bed.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Green leafy vegetable are also very good at inducing sleep. For example, lettuce is known to contain high levels of a nutrient called lactucarium which has incredible sedative properties. Lettuce also contains potassium which plays a major role in promoting the normal function of the nervous system and relaxing your muscles. This leafy green is also able to solve some of the problems that might contribute to poor sleep like headaches, joint and muscle pain, or anxiety,

Kales on the other hand contain a high amount of calcium which is involved heavily in making sleep-inducing hormones.

Seafoods

Fish like tuna, salmon and halibut are the best source of the vital vitamin B6. Once you ingest fish, vitamin B6 initiates the manufacture of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Melatonin is triggered in the dark, so once the lights are off it will activate, making you to fall asleep quickly. These fish also contain another useful hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that promotes muscle relaxation. Vitamin B6 is also good for your immune system and if you include fish in your—and tuna in particular—in your diet you can expect to head towards better slep.

You can also include crustaceans like shrimp, oyster, and lobster into your diet, as they are a rich source of tryptophan and eating them will aid your sleep. The best way to prepare the crustaceans is by using a pressure cooker, helping the food be not just nutritious but also delicious.

Jasmine Rice

According to a study conducted in Australia, eating white rice, especially jasmine rice, induces sleep faster. This is because jasmine rice is high on the glycemic index and once consumed, it’s digested slowly. As a result, glucose is gradually released into the bloodstream. This helps the body maintain healthy blood sugar levels while asleep.

Because it is higher on the glycemic index, jasmine rice triggers the production of high levels of insulin in the body, which leads to the increase in the production of tryptophan and an increased amount of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin.

Fortified Cereals

Fortified cereals are a rich source of complex carbohydrates—which boost the production of the vital amino acid tryptophan—and also contain vitamin B6. If you make eating a bowl of cereals your habit just before bedtime you will be amazed by the quality of sleep you will get.

Author bio

Kanisha Haney is a renowned blog writer and founder of the FortunateKitchen blog. This blog specializes on food related topics, from ways of making exquisite dishes to food preparation basics. As a self-taught chef, Kanisha is driven by passion and curiosity for food blogging. She is on course with her mission to educate readers, besides playing roles as a mom.