6 Foods To Help You Get Some Shut-Eye
1. Dark Chocolate
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
There's some debate about this, but many believe that dark chocolate, despite the caffeine and sugar, can be helpful on sleepless nights. It contains serotonin, which acts as a lullaby for even the most anxious of minds.
2. Hummus/Chickpeas
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
A UC Berkeley staple, hummus is a great food to eat when you're having trouble sleeping because chickpeas or garbanzo beans, the main ingredient in hummus, boost vitamin B6, which in turn creates melatonin. Melatonin is your body's natural way of powering down, but it operates best when it's dark. So on your next sleepless night, turn down the lights and have a romantic date with a bowl of homemade hummus or a spoonful of roasted chickpeas (if you're feeling especially adventurous, try the red, purple or black varieties like pictured above).
3. Cherries
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
There have been a handful of studies done to prove that cherries cure insomnia with older adults. Though a consensus has yet to be reached, one thing is for sure: cherries, like chickpeas, help your body produce enough melatonin for a trip to dream land.
4. Turkey
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
After Thanksgiving many people experience a phenomenon dubbed "postprandial somnolence" or more simply "the food coma." There's a reason for this. Turkey has a high level of tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body create serotonin. Turkey actually makes a good bedtime snack because it does its best work on an empty stomach.
5. Pretzels
Photo by Elizabeth Layman
Pretzels are little knots of carbohydrates that cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. This helps you fall asleep faster because it lets trytophan enter your brain. With a handful of Pretzel Crisps (pictured above), you won't wake up hungry or full—just well rested.
6. Cereal
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
Cereal, especial whole grain cereal, has a good deal of magnesium in it. Magnesium helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. Add a splash of milk (another good food for sleeplessness), and you won't even have to flip the pillow over to the cool side to fall asleep.
Try any of these foods the next time you're tossing and turning or check out five more foods that our friends at Spoon's Northwestern chapter recommend for particularly sleepless nights. Sweet dreams.
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