Foods To Help You Catch Enough Z’s...by Mary Powell

Ben Franklin once said “Fatigue is the best pillow.” But what if you are fatigued and still can’t get to sleep? There are a few healthy snacks that can help you overcome this dilemma.
According to the Sleep Aid Center, there are ten foods that aid in obtaining a healthy night’s rest. Warm milk contains tryptophan - an amino acid that acts as a sedative, as well as calcium, which helps the brain use the tryptophan. Turkey also has tryptophan, which triggers that sleepy feeling after a delicious Thanksgiving meal. Honey allows the brain to stop producing Orexin, a neurotransmitter that makes our brains alert. Try mixing some honey in a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime and you should feel sleepy. Other sleep aid foods are bananas, which contain serotonin, melatonin and magnesium; magnesium aids in muscle relaxation. Whole wheat bread, flaxseed, almonds and potatoes also aid in a good night’s rest. If you are watching your diet; however, you will not want to eat carbohydrates within three hours before bedtime as it is more difficult to burn these off while you are inactive.
The Sleep Aid Center states that spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol should all be avoided near bedtime. Although alcohol can make a person feel drowsy, it can cause sleepers to reawaken several times during the night.
There are people who brag that they don’t need much sleep; however, lack of sleep can cause devastating health consequences. Researchers, at the University of Chicago, have found a connection between deep sleep deprivation and Type 2 diabetes. As well, people gain weight from lack of sleep as Leptin and Grehlin are hormones that help the body maintain a stable body weight. When a person does not obtain enough sleep, levels of Grehlin increase, causing a greater appetite, while levels of Leptin, an appetite suppressant, decrease. This can actually lead to obesity over time (Sleep Aid Center).
So despite forewarnings about eating before bed time, do not hesitate to feast on a small piece of turkey, sip a cup of chamomile with honey, or have a handful of nuts before bedtime. Those snacks may aid in eradicating insomnia, along with type 2 diabetes and weight gain.

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of careThe death of each day's life, sore labour's bathBalm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,Chief nourisher in life's feast.
William Shakespeare, Macbeth