CLOSE SEARCH
A Great Range of the Best Foods and Drinks for a Good Night’s Sleep to Switch off the Right Way
Have you tried every possible remedy but you still cannot switch off at the end of the day? It is probably because of your dietary choices before bed.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the appropriate duration of sleep for children is between 9 and 11 hours and for adults, it is between 7 and 9 hours [1]. It has also been proven that foods and drinks might directly be linked to the quality of sleep you get, whether it is good or bad [2].
Sleep duration and quality can have an impact on a variety of conditions [3], including:
- obesity
- diabetes
- hypertension
- cardiovascular disease
It is advised to get into a routine to allow your body to program itself to fall asleep and wake up at specific times and to avoid using technology before bed because it emits blue light, which suppresses melatonin, the sleep hormone [4].
Choosing the best foods and drinks for a good night’s sleep is important. Get your list ready for your next shopping spree on MAIANA's online grocery store.
If you are experiencing sleep deprivation or insomnia, consult with your healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almonds and walnuts are great sources of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the circadian cycle, the internal clock, and prepares the body for sleep. They are also high in magnesium which may improve the quality of sleep, especially for those experiencing insomnia [5].
White rice is also recommended for its carb content and its lack of fiber [5]. These properties induce a high glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly a food increases body sugar. Consuming high-GI foods 1 hour before bed may help enhance sleep quality [6].
Oatmeal, like our wonderful Flahavans Organic Jumbo Oats, is high in carbohydrates and is known to contain high levels of melatonin which may stimulate drowsiness if consumed before bedtime [5].
Legumes are a great source of tryptophan [7], an amino acid that helps produce serotonin, and works with calcium to produce melatonin and thus, improves sleep quality. Black beans, butter beans, lentils, and chickpeas might allow you to get your necessary intake of tryptophan for a restful night.
Consuming foods rich in vitamin B6 and vitamin D [8] affects sleep regulation and promotes the production of sleep hormones. Research shows that fatty fish such as salmon affects positively sleep patterns and efficiency [9].
References
[1] Hirshkowitz, Max, et al. “National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Time Duration Recommendations: Methodology and Results Summary.” Sleep Health, vol. 1, no. 1, Mar. 2015, pp. 40–43, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721815000157 , 10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010.
[2] Zeng, Yawen, et al. “Strategies of Functional Foods Promote Sleep in Human Being.” Current Signal Transduction Therapy, vol. 9, no. 3, 14 Apr. 2015, pp. 148–155, 10.2174/1574362410666150205165504.
[3] “The Best Foods to Help You Sleep through the Night.” Www.medicalnewstoday.com, 25 Jan. 2019, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324295#_noHeaderPrefixedContent.
[4] British Heart Foundation. “Sleeping Tips.” Bhf.org.uk, British Heart Foundation, 8 Aug. 2018, www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/wellbeing/sleeping-tips . Accessed 9 Nov. 2019.
[5] “9 Foods and Drinks to Promote Better Sleep.” Healthline, 27 Aug. 2020, www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-to-help-you-sleep#1.-Almonds . Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.
[6] Boers, Hanny M., et al. “A Systematic Review of the Influence of Rice Characteristics and Processing Methods on Postprandial Glycaemic and Insulinaemic Responses.” British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 114, no. 7, 27 Aug. 2015, pp. 1035–1045, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579564/, 10.1017/s0007114515001841. Accessed 5 Jan. 2020.
[7] “Eat to Sleep Better - Best Foods for and Sleep Weight Loss.” Www.bedstar.co.uk, 23 Sept. 2022, www.bedstar.co.uk/sleep-talk/how-the-right-kind-of-food-can-help-you-sleep.html. Accessed 17 Nov. 2022.
[8] Breus, Dr Michael. “The Best Vitamins for Sleep.” The Sleep Doctor, 9 Sept. 2022, thesleepdoctor.com/sleep-aids/best-vitamins-for-sleep/#:~:text=A%20lack%20of%20Vitamin%20B6. Accessed 17 Nov. 2022.
[9] Hansen, Anita L., et al. “Fish Consumption, Sleep, Daily Functioning, and Heart Rate Variability.” Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine : JCSM : Official Publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, vol. 10, no. 5, 15 May 2014, pp. 567–575, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013386/, 10.5664/jcsm.3714.
[10] Ikonte, et al. “Micronutrient Inadequacy in Short Sleep: Analysis of the NHANES 2005–2016.” Nutrients, vol. 11, no. 10, 1 Oct. 2019, p. 2335, 10.3390/nu11102335.
[11] Hulsken, Sjoerd, et al. “Food-Derived Serotonergic Modulators: Effects on Mood and Cognition.” Nutrition Research Reviews, vol. 26, no. 2, 18 Oct. 2013, pp. 223–234, 10.1017/s0954422413000164. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.
[12] Binks, Hannah, et al. “Effects of Diet on Sleep: A Narrative Review.” Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 4, 27 Mar. 2020, p. 936, dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu12040936, 10.3390/nu12040936.
[13] Bakshi, Arjun, and Prasanna Tadi. “Biochemistry, Serotonin.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 2022, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809691/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.
[14] Pereira, Nádia, et al. “Influence of Dietary Sources of Melatonin on Sleep Quality: A Review.” Journal of Food Science, vol. 85, no. 1, 19 Dec. 2019, pp. 5–13, 10.1111/1750-3841.14952. Accessed 5 Aug. 2020.
[15] Haybar, Habib, et al. “The Effects of Melissa Officinalis Supplementation on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Sleep Disorder in Patients with Chronic Stable Angina.” Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, vol. 26, 1 Aug. 2018, pp. 47–52, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29908682/, 10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.04.015.
[16] Pross, Nathalie, et al. “Effects of Changes in Water Intake on Mood of High and Low Drinkers.” PloS One, vol. 9, no. 4, 2014, p. e94754, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24728141, 10.1371/journal.pone.0094754.
[17] “10 Drinks That Help You Sleep and What to Avoid.” Www.medicalnewstoday.com, 11 Nov. 2022, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drinks-that-help-you-sleep#drinks-to-avoid. Accessed 15 Nov. 2022.
[18] “Eat to Sleep Better - Best Foods for and Sleep Weight Loss.” Www.bedstar.co.uk, 23 Sept. 2022, www.bedstar.co.uk/sleep-talk/how-the-right-kind-of-food-can-help-you-sleep.html.
[19] Gupta, Sanjay. “Chamomile: A Herbal Medicine of the Past with a Bright Future (Review).” Molecular Medicine Reports, vol. 3, no. 6, 28 Sept. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/, 10.3892/mmr.2010.377.
[20] “Valerian Root for Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 20 Jan. 2022, www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-aids/valerian-root#:~:text=Valerian%20root%20supplements%20have%20been. Accessed 17 Nov. 2022.
[21] Bazrafshan, Mohammad-Rafi, et al. “The Effect of Lavender Herbal Tea on the Anxiety and Depression of the Elderly: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Mar. 2020, p. 102393, 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102393. Accessed 6 Apr. 2020.
[22] Losso, Jack N., et al. “Pilot Study of the Tart Cherry Juice for the Treatment of Insomnia and Investigation of Mechanisms.” American Journal of Therapeutics, vol. 25, no. 2, 2018, pp. e194–e201, journals.lww.com/americantherapeutics/Pages/ArticleViewer.aspx?year=2018&issue=04000&article=00002&type=Fulltext, 10.1097/mjt.0000000000000584.