Part 2 of a 2 part blog series
When You Press Snooze More Times Than You'd Like to Admit. (If only getting outta bed in the morning wasn't so tough)
In part 1 of this blog post series, I mentioned what foods might be keeping you from getting a good night's sleep. Today, I'm sharing foods that will help you get some sleep, so you wake up feeling rested.
Because when you don't get a good night's sleep, you feel off. And that's not a fun way to start the day.
Food is the best place to start because it's so fundamental to our daily routine. It's something you + I do at least 3 times per day. So there's so much opportunity to make those food choices count.
Sleeping gives our body the chance to go into mass repair mode. Both physically and mentally. That's why after a good night's sleep, you feel alert. Your mind is sharp and you have energy to get through the day.
That's also why when you're sick, nothing helps you get back on your feet faster than when you're able to get a lot of sleep.
How Food Can Help You Get a Good Night's Sleep
Nutrients. Simply put. They're in abundance and occurring in their most natural form in whole, unprocessed foods.
We need those nutrients to keep us well and our bods rockin as best as possible. This also includes getting a good night's sleep, so we wake up feeling rested.
They help to relax and calm us down. They also help manage our internal day and night cycle. So that we're sleepy at night and wide awake during the day.
What Foods and Nutrients Will Help You Sleep?
You'll sleep better with nutrients like tryptophan, magnesium and vitamin B6. You've most likely felt the effect of tryptophan after eating a turkey dinner. You know, when you've felt super sleepy and needed a nap. (Orrr, maybe you ate just a bit too much.) ;)
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. That means it must come from your diet. You need it to make serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin keeps you in balance with the cycle of day and night. In short, it's what makes you feel sleepy at night.
Magnesium and vitamin B6 are also so so good for restful ZZZs. Both are needed in the making of serotonin. So having great amounts of each in our diet is important.
Magnesium also helps to calm us down. It relaxes our nerves and muscles. It's kinda hard to get some sleep when you feel all fired up and anxious, am I right?!
My Favourite Plant Based Foods for Restful ZZZs
Here are some of my favourite plant based sources for getting those valuable nutrients:
- Tryptophan - beans and lentils (especially kidney beans), crimini mushrooms, spinach, watercress, parsley and garlic
- Magnesium - nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin seeds), greens (especially spinach + Swiss chard) and black beans
- Vitamin B6 - sweet potato, sunflower seeds, spinach, bananas, avocados, walnuts, collards, garlic and bell peppers
Now what's a list without a recipe or some inspiration, right? I've got you covered here + here.
Remember that making an effort to have these show up in your food choices on the regular will make the greatest difference for you.
Now it's your turn. I'd so love to hear from you. Have you noticed how food affects your sleep? I'd love to hear one item you've noticed make a difference. Whether you were up all night or you slept like a baby.
To getting more ZZZs,
