The Best Foods To Help You Sleep!
Can't sleep? Try noshing on one of these tasty snacks and sleep better tonight!
1. Non-fat popcorn: The carbohydrates in nonfat popcorn help bring the amino acid tryptophan into your brain , where it's used to make a sleep-inducing neurotransmitter called serotonin. Since eating a heavy meal within two hours of bedtime can keep you awake, low-calorie popcorn (just 93 calories in three cups popped) is a great late-night snack . Choose plain, fat-free popcorn and jazz it up with some curry powder.
2. Halibut: Halibut is packed with two building blocks for better sleep: tryptophan and vitamin B6, which has a mild flavor and meaty texture that appeals to finicky seafood eaters. Other foods high in tryptophan include poultry, beef, soybeans, milk , cheese, yogurt, nuts and eggs. ("Milk" can mean a lot of different things these days. Check out this guide to find the best milk for you.)
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3. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas): High-fiber garbanzo beans are rich in vitamin B6, which your body uses to produce serenity-boosting serotonin. Try adding garbanzo beans to salads, soups and stews when you need sleep. Or use this easy recipe for spiced red-pepper hummus to have a healthy snack on hand when you can't sleep.
4. Chamomile tea: This herbal tea lacks the caffeine found in traditional teas, and it has a calming effect on the body. (That's why it's one of our favorite ingredients for these DIY spa treatments.) Also, a warm liquid before bed can make you sleepy by raising body heat.
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5. Honey: A rise in blood sugar can reduce the production of orexin in the brain. Orexin is a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's been linked to wakefulness. Try drizzling a small amount of honey in your chamomile tea. A different route to sleep: Keep dessert low in sugar.
Try these low-calorie dessert recipes.
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