Food for Sleep

It’s that tricky time of year: coursework deadlines may loom but socials and nights out definitely need attending. So we are all very busy but one thing that may get forgotten is sleep, on average we all need 8 hours a night. Here are ten of the best midnight munchies to send you to slumber…

1. Bananas
   Bananas aid overstressed muscles and trigger the brain’s calming hormones.
2. Rice
   A carbohydrate that breaks down quickly in digestion can speed up the release of serotonin, a feel good hormone and tryptophan, a sleep-inducing amino-acid which promotes sleep.
3. Cherries
   They contain melatonin which regulates the body’s internal clock helping you get into the routine of sleeping better for longer.
4. Eggs
   High in protein, they won’t spike your blood sugar causing you to wake up in the middle of the night.
5. Cereal
   My go-to midnight snack, quick and easy it increases the availability of tryptophan in the bloodstream allowing you to dream away peacefully.
6. Wine
   Probably not recommended, but usually the more I have the sleepier I get. Note: I am not confusing this with passing out, I generally do feel sleepier!
7. Almonds
   High in magnesium which helps to relax the body, the nuts can be easily nibbled without having to go near a kitchen.
8. Milk
   An obvious choice as calcium is effective in stress reduction but add cinnamon which will reduce a rise in blood sugar and give a warm feeling to these wintry nights.
9. Turkey
   Feeling a bit more peckish? For the meat-eaters out there it’s high in protein and the amino acid Ttryptophan, calming the brain, leading us to a restful sleep.
10. Toast
    Because it’s the late night cure for many things!