There are plenty of best practices you can incorporate into your routine that can help you get a great night’s rest, and choosing foods that promote good sleep is a very important one. Many of us might underestimate how much our nutrition and diet can influence the quality of our sleep, the length of our sleep and even what we dream about.
Many naturally occurring compounds are found in specific foods that promote a good sleep cycle. Some of those compounds include:
- Melatonin
- Calcium
- Tryptophan
- Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
- Histamine
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Vitamin D
- B-vitamins
- Antioxidants
To help explain what these compounds do and what foods contain them, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite superfoods for better sleep:
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Almonds
Almonds have been known to boost sleep quality because like most nuts, they are a great source of melatonin, which is responsible for regulating your internal clock and signaling to the body that it’s time to sleep.Almonds also have magnesium and provide 19% of our dietary needs. Consuming enough magnesium will help you improve your quality of sleep, especially if you have insomnia.
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Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is quite famous for its flavones, which are a class of antioxidants. The flavones release a natural byproduct known as Apigenin, which acts as a catalyst for drowsiness.These antioxidants bind to specific receptors in the brain to help promote sleep and reduce insomnia.
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Kiwi
Kiwi is a nutritious and low-calorie fruit that exhibits a rich amount of serotonin and anti-inflammatory antioxidants, making it well-known as a natural sleep helper. And if you like the taste, you can also try The Sleep Project’s sleepy kiwi smoothie.
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Fatty Fish
Fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, trout, and salmon provide fantastic health benefits. What differentiates them from other fish is the extraordinary amount of vitamin D they contain.Moreover, fatty fishes contain omega-3 fatty acids; these combined with vitamin D, potentially enhancing sleep quality by increasing serotonin production.
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Passionflower Tea
Herbal teas have been used to treat health problems for generations, and one of these is passionflower tea. Passionflower has long been known for its anxiety-reducing and soothing properties.Antioxidant byproducts like Apigenin are plentiful in passionflower tea—Apigenin binds specific receptors in the brain, producing a calming effect.
- Bananas
Banana peels are an excellent source of tryptophan, and bananas themselves are a great source of magnesium.
Sambrosa Sleep Syrup
When it comes to improving your quality of sleep, there are so many natural ways to get back to the 8 hours of sleep you need and deserve.
Along with snacking on these delicious superfoods, consider trying Sambrosa Sweet Dreams Night Syrup, an OTC sleep syrup made from naturally-based ingredients and the antihistamine doxylamine.
Our night syrup is made with the highest possible quality standards, compliant with the FDA, and has cGMP certification. Visit our website to learn more, and please contact us with any questions you may have.