On Healthy Living

There are millions of Americans who suffer from insomnia and many end up raiding the fridge. But did you know that someone snack foods will keep you awake while some will help you get a good nights rest? Here are a few examples:

First, let’s look at the foods that are most likely to keep you tossing and turning.

1. Caffeine. Now, you don’t need a doctor to tell you that caffeine will keep you awake, but it can lurk in unexpected places. Chocolate not only contains caffeine but also alkaloids which have a stimulating effect.

So what can you raid the refrigerator for to limit the sheep count? It has a lot to do with serotonin.

1. Milk (warm or not) contains tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin. It’s tryptophan in turkey that makes us so sleepy after that Thanksgiving dinner. Cheese, chicken, soy, yogurt, nuts and seeds also have tryptophan. Eat these (and all foods) at least 45 minutes prior to your planned bedtime.

Sandra Campbell wrote this on December 12th, 2006 and filed it under Healthy Living |