How many times have we woken up bang in the middle of the night with a grumbling stomach or hunger pangs? Many of us have even had troubles sleeping due to the aforementioned hunger pangs. The moment we are hungry we only think of one thing- “Food”. But, how healthy or rather how much weight is that extra food gonna show up on one’s tummy is the one point that will make us skip this midnight snack. Not to worry there are actually some healthy food’s that will not disturb the usual diet and will allow one to get a sound sleep.
Let’s take a look at these magical food’s now that let us literally dream on.
#1- Snacks:
Snacks are broadly classified into two categories. The ones that induce sleep and the ones that give you energy. The snacks that induce sleep are the ones that contain trytophan and amino acid that helps in the whole sleeping process. Below are a list of “sleepers” as they are fondly known.
- Low Fat milk or Cheese
- Seafood, meat and poultry
- Whole grains with skimmed milk
- Scrambled eggs
- Peanut butter sandwich
- A slice of apple with an ounce of cheese
- Crackers
#2- Pistachios:
Pistachios promote a high level of sleep inducing melatonin which is comparatively higher than in other plant based food. A handful of pistachios contain about 6.5mg of melatonin and 160 calories. Usually the amount of melatonin required is around 0.5-5mg to aid good sleep.
#3- Goji berries:
These red-orange sweet tart berries contain high anti-oxidants which includes carotenoids. There are also hints of melatonin. A study conducted showed that a group of people who drank four ounces of goji berry juice for around two weeks had their quality of sleep improved. (includes waking up easier and feeling less tired)
#4- Yogurt:
Since ancient times Yogurt has been a favorite of most household cuisines. So much so that there are so many flavours available of that now. It is an excellent source of calcium it is known, but recently it is also been linked with good sleep. That is because one’s body requires calcium to make Melatonin. I think by now each of you would be familiar with what Melatonin does.
#5- Pumpkin seeds:
Pumpkin seeds are rich in Typtophan, which is the amino acid needed for Melatonin. An ounce of serving has around 146 calories and also helps with better sleep.
#6- Kiwi:
For the diet conscious ones, Kiwi is a very good option as it is a low calorie and very nutritious fruit. Other than improved quality of sleep, Kiwis may also benefit the digestive system by reducing inflammation and bringing down the cholesterol levels. This is because of the high fiber and cartenoid antioxidants that they provide.
#7- Herbal Tea:
Some herbal tea’s like passionflower tea or chamomile tea provide a variety of health benefits. Some of them includes reducing anxiety and depression, better skincare, rich source of antioxidants, boost the immune system and reducing risk of heart diseases. Yes, these are mostly common benefits of herbal tea. But did you also know that they may-be linked with a good quality sleep? This is due to the calming properties these tea’s possess.
These are some of the things that help in attaining a good night’s ( in some cases day 😉 ) sleep. Note that one can also have the above snacks/foods in small quantities along with their dinner. This in turn will help one to lead a healthy lifestyle.
