Fall Asleep Faster and Sleep Better

Does the heat not let you sleep? There are anti-insomnia foods that can help you avoid sleepless nights, despite the heat.

Taking advantage of the right hours of rest is important, because it allows you to carry out all your daily activities with the right energy and concentration. Sleeping too little or badly, on the other hand, makes you easily irritable. And, if this disorder becomes chronic, it can also lead to more serious consequences, favoring the onset of diseases such as depression, blood pressure or diabetes.

Unfortunately, when the temperatures rise and the heat and humidity give you no respite, sleepless nights are always lurking. However, there are some foods that have the power to reconcile rest because they are rich in water, with a moisturizing and refreshing effect, and in nutrients that help you relax and sleep better. Here are which ones.

Insomnia-fighting foods: Load up on magnesium, B vitamins, and melatonin

Meanwhile, because they stimulate the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Produced by a small gland in the brain (pineal gland or epiphysis), melatonin regulates the circadian rhythm, i.e. the body's sleep-wake cycle. Consequently, the production of this hormone has a maximum peak at night and very low values ​​during the day.

In addition to melatonin, a diet rich in plant fiber , for example, helps lengthen the duration of deep sleep. But vitamins are also important, water, which helps you not-dehydrate you, and mineral salts. Above all, foods rich in magnesium are fundamental, which helps to ease tension, favors relaxation and fights irritability, in tryptophan, the amino acid necessary to produce serotonin, the hormone of well-being and good mood, and in vitamins group B, such as B3 (niacin) and B6, essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, which promotes rest, counteracting anxiety and depression.

Foods to avoid in order not to suffer from insomnia

In addition to choosing the right foods to promote sleep, it is also important to have a dinner that is not too abundant and not to abuse foods that are very rich in fat or high in calories, which would hinder digestion and therefore rest. Don't exaggerate with salt and avoid alcohol and spirits, tea and coffee, sweets, which are better not to have at dinner. Do not go to sleep immediately after eating but wait at least 3 hours to prevent digestion from disturbing rest.

Discover the 10 foods that will help you sleep well

I have identified 10 foods which, thanks to their precious nutrients, have the power to reconcile rest. Here's what they are.

1. Apricots

Among the anti insomnia foods there is the fruit considered calming par excellence: the apricot. Thanks to the high content of magnesium (10 mg/100g) and potassium (320 mg/100 g), it is your precious ally in case of insomnia, because it helps to reduce anxiety and nervousness. Rich in water, it also helps you stay hydrated and suffer less from the heat: a great help for better sleep.

2. Oats

Oats are a natural source of melatonin and are rich in calcium and magnesium, mineral salts that promote relaxation. It also carries out a re-balancing action on the nervous system, managing to counteract difficulty sleeping.

3. Bananas

Vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium and tryptophan: this is the poker of substances thanks to which the banana helps muscle relaxation and stimulates the body to produce serotonin, the "hormone of happiness". Serotonin promotes mental balance, improves mood and helps fight sleep disorders.

4. Cherries

They are a natural source of magnesium (10mg/100g), a mineral that helps you rest better because it promotes muscle relaxation. A lack of it, on the contrary, can cause anxiety, agitation, nervousness, enemies of good rest.

5. Kiwis

Research by the Medical University of Taipei has revealed that consuming kiwis daily makes you sleep more and better. For 4 weeks, the study sample consumed 2 kiwis before going to bed. The benefits? Less difficulty falling asleep and longer, deeper sleep.

The merit would go to the high content of antioxidants, which help reduce stress levels and promote rest, fol-ate and the lack of which can cause insomnia.

6. Lettuce

Very rich in water, it helps you maintain the right water balance and protect you from the heat which can cause difficulty sleeping in the summer. It also contains a milky substance, which has sedative and relaxing effects: for this reason, eating lettuce salads at dinner helps you rest better. It also helps fight water retention.

7. Almonds

In the list of foods against insomnia we also find almonds, which are very rich in magnesium (264 mg/100g), a mineral that contributes to normal energy metabolism and which, by promoting muscle relaxation, helps you rest better.

Snack on a handful of almonds a day and you'll ensure you have 25% of the magnesium you need (don't over do it because they are very caloric!).

8. Walnuts

Research by the University of Texas has shown that eating walnuts would increase the levels of melatonin, a hormone that the body produces to regulate the sleep-wake cycle: consuming walnuts would stimulate its production, helping you sleep better.

Walnuts are likewise an incredible wellspring of magnesium, which advances unwinding and assists you with resting better

9. Peaches

Peaches are high in niacin (vitamin B3), which helps keep the nervous system healthy. Thanks to this molecule with sedative effects and magnesium (peaches contain 9 mg per 100 g), which promotes muscle relaxation, this summer fruit is an excellent ally against insomnia.

10. Rice

Eating a plate of rice for dinner helps you sleep better: according to a study by the Japanese Kanazawa Medial University. The merit of rice's soporific effects should be attributed to its high glycemic index, which would seem to increase tryptophan levels in the body, a protein that stimulates the activity of serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters responsible for the feeling of well-being. For this reason, rice is fully included in the list of foods against insomnia.