Sleep is essential to have a healthy and great quality life. Nothing is better than having a proper sleep at night. Sleep is mandatory to think at our clearest and work at our efficient. You may come across several advice about as how to get good sleep but the fact is the food plays major role in helping you sleep better.

The problem of missing your sleeping hours may become your habit. However, in the long run, you will find that you get affected with sleep problems like insomnia. When you wish to sleep you will find that your body has adapted to that sleeping pattern. So, it is never too late to get rid of this habit and have a healthy lifestyle. Taking sleeping pills does not help much and one should not be dependent on it.

So, how can we get good sleep? Yes, of course it is by eating healthy and nutritious food. Food rich in carbohydrates and food that comprises of melatonin helps to glide off to sleep. A bowl of oatmeal and cinnamon toast are the best ways to send you to bed.

Now, let us see what are the few nutrients that help you to have a sleep like a baby:

Food Containing Melatonin:

Melatonin is an important body chemical that controls our internal clock. It also indicates us when to go off to sleep. Cherries are such items that comprise of melatonin and bring a great night sleep. You can have cherries and a glass of milk that can aid to sleep.

Milk and its products are also good to have. It comprises of amino acid L-tryptophan and it is converted by brain to melatonin that induces sleep. Milk is high in calcium content and this also brings on drowsiness.

Potassium and Magnesium:

These minerals are actually muscle relaxants. A food with such nutrients is banana. A slab of banana bread with milk is the delicious way to increase your sugar level and give indication to your body that it’s time to go to bed. Moreover, potatoes are also great for stimulating insulin production. You can mash potatoes in small spoonful of butter for a yummy licious treat to have a great sleep time.

Vitamin:

Intake of vitamins helps your metabolism speeds up. It also sends other nutrients at the right place. In fact, even if you do not take sufficient vitamin must sit under the sun’s rays. Sun is one of the finest sources of Vitamin D. On the whole; whatever we eat at night may have a negative or positive effect on our quality of sleep. So, choose your trip to your refrigerator wisely to have a healthy lifestyle. Definitely, you will wake up refreshed, happy, and possibly hungry for breakfast. It has been estimated by National Sleep Foundation that average US citizens get nearly 7 hours of sleep, which is not enough. However, University of Maryland shows that minimum 8 hours sleep is good for a healthy body.

Source: Extracted from an Article by Deborah Enos, in the HuffPost – Healthy living Section of the Huffington Post