10 superfoods to help you sleep well

Try out these foods to cure your insomnia.

While some of us sleep like a log, there are others who end up counting the cobwebs on the ceiling. Here are ten super foods that will help you go zzzzz...

1. Almonds

Almonds contain Magnesium which promotes sleep and muscle relaxation. Almonds also contains Tryptophan which helps convert by body into two hormones that help you sleep such as melatonin and serotonin.

Almonds also are a good source of protein that helps maintain a stable blood sugar level while sleeping, and help promote sleep by switching you to a rest and digest cycle.

Courtesy: Gud2Eat.com

2. Peanuts or peanut butter

Nuts like Peanuts or Almonds can improve sleep quality. Nuts are a good source of Niacin that helps release Serotonin that helps induce sleep, reduces stress and helps the mind to get calmer.

Nuts also contain fat and are high in calories so eat in moderation.

3. Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of tryptophan, plus it is packed with magnesium and both nutrients promote sleep.

1 ounce of Pumpkin seeds contains about 151 mg of magnesium. Pumpkin seeds are also considered heart healthy as they contain monounsaturated fats, B vitamins, zinc and vitamins C, D, E, and K.

4. Sesame seeds or Tahini and toast

Try tahini (ground sesame seeds) on toast to sleep well as Sesame seeds are rich in amino Acid Tryptophan. Tryptophan is used by the brain to produce neurotransmitters Serotonin and Melatonin that help you relax and go to sleep.

Other foods that are good sources of Tryptophan include nuts and seeds, bananas, honey, and eggs.

5. Banana

Bananas are rich in Magnesium and Potassium, minerals which help to relax overstressed muscles.

Banana also contains Tryptophan, which is an amino acid that is used by the brain to produce neurotransmitters Serotonin and Melatonin that help you relax and go to sleep.

6. Cherries

A small bowl of raw fresh cherries an hour before going to sleep helps people with sleep problems as Cherries naturally contain small amounts of the sleep hormone Melatonin, a neurotransmitter that helps people with sleep.

Cherries are also packed with beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, and fiber.

7. Grapes

You may consider eating grapes at bed time as it contains hormone melatonin that helps to sleep more quickly and soundly every night.

Grapes are packed With heart healthy antioxidants or polyphenols like flavonoids, phenolic acids, and resveratrol all concentrated mostly in the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes.

8. Cereal

A bowl of low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and milk is a healthy snack at night as it gives you the perfect complex carbohydrate protein boost to sleep peacefully.

Complex carbohydrate rich foods increase the availability of Tryptophan in the bloodstream that helps increase the sleep-inducing effects.

9. Oatmeal

Oatmeal has all the nutrients that help you sleep better like Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Silicon, Potassium and Tryptophan.

Oatmeal is as a night time snack helps trigger release of Serotonin, a hormone that helps induce sleep, reduces stress and helps the mind to get calmer. Oatmeal is fiber rich thus digested slowly and is not likely to spike your blood sugar levels which wakes you up in the night.

10. Edamame

Try an Edamame snack before bed time especially good for menopausal women.

It contains natural estrogen like compounds that are very beneficial in controlling nighttime hot flashes that can disturb sleep.