It can be very frustrating tossing and turning for the hundredth time in bed in the night. As this has been going on for some time, you may find it easy to become on sleeping pills. If you have been reaching for the medicine cabinet regularly at night, consider reaching for your refrigerator
instead. The right kind of foods and combination may just contain the insomnia remedy that will
help you sleep much faster and easier.
Here is a thought that you may have overlooked: food can make you sleep. Have you ever eaten a
huge turkey pie and find yourself extremely sleepy thereafter? This is because of a chemical
known as tryptophan that it contains. Tryptophan causes your body to produce an amino acid
called L-Tryptophan. This amino acid is essential in the production of the neurotransmitters
serotonin and melatonin. These help reduce the nerve traffic in your brain, causing you to relax,
think less and fall off to sleep.
Of course, you cannot possibly be eating turkey every night just before bed. And must be it turkey? Well, the good news is that there are plenty of food sources for tryptophan. This chemical is found in dairy products, fish, beans, eggs, soy, meat (especially poultry), nuts, hummus and most other high-protein foods. Eating a small portion will do. You do not have to eat a huge portion to feel sleepy.
You may not realise this but one problem with the many of the foods that contain tryptophan. They also usually contain an amino acid called tyrosine. Tyrosine produces chemicals that makes you feel more energized. So if you eat these foods on their own, these acids will counteract each other; hence producing no benefit to your insomina problem.
What you need to do is to eat other foods that will allow you to utilize the tryptophan and not the
tyrosine for an insomnia remedy. Carbohydrates will help you to accomplish this. They encourage
your body to produce insulin which “ties up” the tyrosine and allows the tryptophan to reach the brain without competition. Still, you need to avoid too large amounts of carbohydrates and simple sugars. You do not also want to produce too much insulin; which may cause you to wake up not long after you have fallen asleep. Hence, be moderate in your intake of carbohydrates and simple sugars.
Another way to get the full benefit of tryptophan to overcome insomnia is to eat foods that will increase your brain’s absorption of this amino acid. The best way to do this is with calcium. Hence the reason why milk before bedtime is often recommended, because it is effective.
It is not wise to eat a huge meal just before sleeping as you risk putting on weight. For an insomnia remedy plan, you can eat a moderately sized dinner and have a small snack just before bedtime. This is a more prudent plan than getting all frustrated with not being able to sleep and using sleeping pills as an aid.
