Food to choose for better rest and a good night’s sleep

Diet, exercise, and rest are the three basic pillars of a healthy lifestyle. You must achieve a balance between all three if your body is to function properly, in other words, the exercise you get and your everyday food choices will influence how much and how well you sleep.

According to the World Health Organization sleep is not just a pleasure but a necessity and it also points out that sleep disorders increase the risk of everyday accidents and interfere with people’s performance. The WHO also recognises that the right diet is decisive to good quality sleep.

In the same way that our bodies need food for nourishment, we also need rest to recover the energy we need to work at full capacity. A low-fat diet with plenty of protein and fibre promotes restorative sleep.

What should I eat to sleep better?

Recent studies have shown that substances like calcium, magnesium and vitamins B and C help us to sleep. Learn which foods contain these nutrients:

1. Bananas

This fruit is rich in potassium and magnesium, which are essential for muscle relaxation. They contain carbohydrates and fibre that help to keep hunger at bay. They also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin and melatonin, neurotransmitters that control our biological clocks and induce relaxation of the body and mind.

2. Almonds

As well as being filling, these nuts contain plenty of healthy fats and proteins and a lot of calcium. They also contain melatonin, the ‘natural sleeping pill’ secreted by the body at night, which tells us when it is time to go to bed.

3. Dates

Because they contain pantothenic acid (or vitamin B), they have sedative properties and soothe the nerves, helping us to relax and promoting the proper functioning of the nervous system. Dates also contain tryptophan that stimulates melatonin production, helps us to fall asleep and combats insomnia.

4. Sesame seeds

These seeds contain a high level of healthy fats and proteins, as well as minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and amino acids such as tryptophan, which induce sleep and deep relaxation.

5. Whole grains

Like pulses, whole grains provide us with slow-release carbohydrates, which help us to feel fuller after eating and to experience relaxation and well-being. They contain group B vitamins that help to transform tryptophan into melatonin, the body’s ‘natural sleeping pills’.

6. Cherries

Several scientists have shown that the cherry juice helps to induce deep sleep, so that we wake fewer times during the night and start the next day fully rested. The explanation? Cherries have more melatonin than any other fruit.

7. Yucca

This tuber from the potato family provides us with abundant energy and staves off hunger pangs for hours thanks to its ability to satisfy with its high level of carbohydrates and fibre. It also promotes the release of insulin in the body, which means there is more tryptophan in blood and that it reaches the brain more quickly, producing melatonin more easily.

Try eating these foods in the evening and/or at night (but not too late), because they will help you to fall asleep and dispel fatigue so you will feel livelier when you awake. Sleeping well will help you to prevent both long and short-term health problems.

Remember. Eating a healthy diet ensures that your body gets the nutrients that it needs to balance the waking and sleep cycles.

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