Sleep is of paramount importance for a person, because during a night’s rest, there is proper rest and restoration of the body. Occasionally, insomnia for a long time unsettles, and if this happens regularly, then you need to find means to solve this problem. There are foods that can help fight insomnia and improve the quality of human life.
Tea, including chamomile
The list of such products, and in this case of drinks, is headed by tea — green, black, white, etc. According to nutritionist Rick Hay , the amino acids contained in it nourish the nervous system, thereby accelerating the onset of sleep. Called the “relaxation” amino acid L- theanine, it helps reduce anxiety and increase the duration of a night’s rest, which has been confirmed in various scientific papers. So, in the journal Asia Pacific Journal OfNutrition has published the information for 2008 that the amino acid L- theanine improves the sleep quality of young male children with attention deficit disorder.
The soothing effect is characteristic of chamomile tea. The benefit of this medicinal plant is difficult to overestimate, and the range of its action is so wide that it allows to use in the treatment of various diseases, ranging from allergies and eczema to the common cold and cardiovascular diseases.Scientists have discovered in the inflorescences a flavonoid apigenin , which has anti – anxiety properties, and has a calming effect on the central nervous system. According to the same Rick Hey , inhaling before bedtime chamomile essential oil may also have a sedative effect on the body.
Cinnamon – a food product for insomnia
Cinnamon is one of the few food that can have an impact on human sleep. It is all about her ability to reduce the level of glucose in the blood, especially in patients with type 2 diabetes. But how can this help fight insomnia? If you sleep superficially and wake up several times during the night, this may be due to jumps in blood glucose levels. Awakening occurs when it falls heavily, so for easier and not too early awakening, experts recommend eating a portion of porridge with cinnamon for the night or making some drink, such as chamomile tea with cinnamon.
Ginger: how does he fight sleep disorders?
This spice is used in food for more than one hundred years, but recently its popularity has increased significantly, especially among those who lose weight. People who use it to combat excess weight actively add a stinging root to food to improve digestion and metabolism, but gingerol present in it has other positive properties, for example, it is an excellent blood tonic. The result of one study published in the journal Complementary Therapies In Medicine showed that when taking various additives with ginger, the time required for falling asleep is significantly reduced. In addition, this food is an excellent tonic for the nervous system. It is able to influence the brain receptors responsible for the production of serotonin, and this hormone reduces anxiety.
Passion fruit – overseas fruit on guard of good sleep
This tropical fruit, known as passionflower edible, is incredibly tasty and healthy. It provides the human body with carbohydrates, carotene, ascorbic acid, iron and other valuable nutrients. There is in it a compound such as harman , which has a hypnotic and sedative effect. Fresh fruits reduce anxiety, and special preparations like tinctures or harman- based pills improve the quality and depth of sleep. If it is not possible to feast on fresh fruit, you can search for a sale of passion fruit jam or juice, and the pulp of this fruit is added to the composition of various confectionery products.
Lukuma – a tropical fruit to improve the quality of sleep
This fruit tree is home to Chile, Peru and Ecuador. The fruit is quite interesting in appearance. It has a flattened oval shape with an elongated base. His skin is brownish-green with a reddish blush, and the flesh inside is bright yellow, dry and powdery, but generously soaked in so-called latex, like syrup, which gives the fruit a sweet, pleasant taste. This latex is literally packed with nutrients, but at the same time it has a low glycemic index. Unlike pasta, rice and bread with a high glycemic index, forcing a person to wake up in the middle of the night, the Turkish delight normalizes the level of glucose in the blood before going to bed, thereby improving the quality of night rest.
Citrus fruits – what are they useful for?
It is no secret that citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C. And in the course of numerous studies, it was proved that a deficit of ascorbic acid can contribute to sleep loss. Vitamin C is not only a powerful stimulator of the immune system, but also food for the adrenal glands. The activity of the adrenal glands is regulated by the nervous system. If all the nutrients necessary to maintain normal vital activity are present in the body, the adrenal glands work normally, and with it the nervous system. Vitamin C acts as a regulator of the production of the stress hormone cortisol, reducing anxiety and stress, provoking insomnia.
Even more vitamin C contains such foods as rosehip, red bell pepper, black currant and sea buckthorn, and Barbados cherry is considered to be the leader. However, they should not be abused by people suffering from gastritis and gastric ulcer with high acidity.
Liquorice, or licorice – what is its secret?
Licorice is cultivated in many countries as a medicinal, food and technical plant. Herbalists know it as a tonic for the adrenal glands. The fast pace of life, the constant influence of stress, deplete this organ, leading to the development of psycho-emotional stress, anxiety and depression in a person. The substances in the composition of this plant have a calming effect on the central nervous system, and such an active flavonoid, like gabrol , improves brain function during sleep time, which has a beneficial effect on the duration of night rest and the depth of sleep. However, RickHay warns that too much of this food product can produce the opposite effect, increasing the energy potential and vitality of the body, thereby delaying the onset of sleep.