20 Foods To Help You Sleep Better

20 Foods To Help You Sleep Better. Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com. Image credits – see foot of page.

Did you know that certain foods can affect your sleep? Many people are aware that the turkey they eat on Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner contains tryptophan, which assists with sleep. This is part the reason why you zonk out on the couch afterwards. But it turns out that there are many other foods that can affect us in a similar manner.

I discovered a post that really grabbed my attention – and it lists 20 of these foods.

We have also created a page called Top 10 Herbs For Insomnia which takes a look at herbs that are highly regarded for their ability to assist with sleep. So you can see these twom as “companion pages”… and now you now have plenty of tactics at your disposal in the quest for better sleep without resorting to meds. 🙂

I speak from experience when it comes to insomnia. I think that partly because of all the “brain stimulation” I get from working all evening on the computer, I am still “wired” even when it gets really late – and it is often 6am before I wind down. I also think that being self-employed has something to do with it: I can set my own schedule and therefore tend to end up sleeping later and working later… and so it gradually drifts.

I am including a couple of additional tips for better sleep, my own observations “from the trenches”.

1. Avoid caffeinated beverages for at least 4 hours before the scheduled sleep time! Any less than that and I find I am still zinging.

2. Turn off the computer at least 1 hour before bedtime. Otherwise you’ll likely end up randomly surfing the web and not necessarily getting anything constructive done – and I think the computer has a stimulating effect on the brain.

3. If I really can’t sleep, I use a herbal / hormonal formula that works like a charm for me: Sleep Optimizer from Jarrow Formulas. This contains valerian, L-tryptophan, hops, lemon balm, GABA and melatonin. One cap often works, unless I am really thinking too much, in which case two will almost certainly put me out. I’ve not experienced any side effects from using this product for the last couple of years, though once I tried taking 3 capsules (2 is the recommended dose) and it made me feel really weird, slightly delirious and not in a particularly pleasant way. I’ve linked to Jarrow Sleep Optimizer on Amazon (my affiliate link) if you are interested to read the reviews. Do not use if you are using MAO inhibitors.

Ok here is the link to the original list and tutorial:

https://ecosalon.com/20-foods-to-help-you-sleep-better

What natural methods are you using to sleep better? Got any other tips? Please let us know on our Facebook page or in the comments. 🙂