If you’re the typical office worker chances are you lack sleep. Getting through the day would be an endless battle between caffeinated drinks and the constant head-bobbing motion we’ve all become accustomed to. After a long day at work the clock strikes and tells us it’s time to leave go home. We get off work, head home, eat dinner, browse the internet or watch something and prepare for bed. We check the clock and it says “10 PM” and we tell ourselves “Ah, plenty of time to sleep.”
After closing your eyes for what seemed to be an eternity why is it we find ourselves wide awake? We check the clock it says “11:00 PM” and conclude that it was still a bit early so if you close your eyes more you’d probably be asleep in the next 15 minutes or so. But it doesn’t happen that way. We end up suddenly hearing our own heartbeat, notice the frequency of the number of breaths we take, and our brain just can’t help but think about that awkward moment at work earlier today.
You wake up again and it says “2:00 AM” and you sit up frustrated. You’ve closed your eyes for the last three hours and nothing’s happened. “This time for sure” you tell yourself. You went back to sleep and this time you become successful but then the alarm goes off, you wake up shaken and confused as you stare in dismay at what the clock says “6:00 AM”
You get up frustrated and quite possibly with a big headache as you look forward to battling drowsiness with another cycle of caffeine at work today.
Eat To Sleep
If the story above rings any bells then let me tell you something: You can actually eat your way to a good night’s sleep.
There are foods out there that can help you sleep better due to how they can increase your melatonin, a substance that’s been known to induce sleepiness. You can always try melatonin pills for sleep but those can come out as expensive and you might develop dependence on the drug. Eating healthy is still the best way to make sure you sleep right and pills can have side effects if you take them for too long.
There are foods out there that can help you sleep better due to how they can increase your melatonin, a substance that’s been known to induce sleepiness. You can always try melatonin pills for sleep but those can come out as expensive and you might develop dependence on the drug. Eating healthy is still the best way to make sure you sleep right and pills can have side effects if you take them for too long.
These 5 foods are better not only because they’re cheaper but they’ll also provide you with nutrients which are essential for your body’s everyday functions.
1. Pineapples
Pineapple is definitely one of the best foods to eat when you want to sleep better. A study shows it’s capable of raising melatonin levels in healthy individuals as well as antioxidants in the body. Pineapples are also known to help reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, as well as aid in digestion.
2. Bananas
Bananas are rich in melatonin and tryptophan, an essential amino acid that shows potential in treating sleep disorders and quite possibly decrease occurrences of sleep apnea. On top of that, bananas can also promote vasodilation which lowers blood pressure to safe levels.
One of the best ways to eat your bananas is by blending them into a smoothie along with other great fruits. This can get your body the kind of nutrients it can use for recovery while you sleep.
3. Oranges
Oranges are known to help lower cholesterol, reduce risk of liver cancer, and even boosts cardiovascular health. But eating your oranges might also help you sleep better because of its vitamin C content which might also help improve memory.
4. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are popularly known for their lycopene content which is capable of improving heart health by reducing risks of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The same lycopene is also known to induce sleepiness as a diet that lacks lycopene can lead to sleep difficulty.
5. Cherries
We all love cherries. They’re a nice treat after a hearty meal and it’s a bonus if they come with cake or ice cream. Of course, the health benefits of cherries are tremendous ranging from having anti-cancer properties to lowering risks of stroke. This is the reason why cherries, perhaps one of the smallest fruits in the world, are considered one of the best superfoods.
It’s also a bonus how cherries can increase melatonin and benefit those who have trouble managing disturbed sleep.
Other ways to sleep better
If you have issues eating food before you sleep fret not. There are plenty of other ways to induce sleepiness without eating among them are the following:
1. Exercise
Exercising is a great way to not only get in shape but to also get you the kind of fatigue where you know you’ll fall asleep the moment you lie down. No, we’re not saying you should get pumped before bed, as sometimes that could have an opposite effect, but rather do some activities that’s just enough for you to sweat a bit.
These exercises could be the likes of taking a stroll around the neighborhood for 30 or so minutes or doing some last minute housework or chore you’re not able to do in the day.
2. Avoid working in bed
You have to condition your brain into thinking that bedroom equals sleep and not work and play. Most who suffer from sleep disruption are those who browse the internet or those who take calls and do their office work while on top of their beds. This makes your brain think that the bedroom is for work while the uncomfortable couch in the living room in front of the television is for sleep.
In fact, this could be the reason why you often find yourself rocking your head back and forth while watching a show on Netflix.
3. Caffeine control
Remember all that coffee or energy drink you used to stay awake during work? Sometimes it takes more than 8 hours for their effects to go down and this is bad especially if you’re known to consume them like water.
As much as we love our coffee (or any other sports drink) we really have to control our consumption else our sleep patterns can change dramatically.
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