How to sleep: Expert shares one food that will help you doze off – and the foods to avoid
Dr Michael Mosley on the importance of routine for sleep
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Sleep expert Jasmin Lee of Eachnight.com says bananas can help a person get a good night’s sleep.
According to Lee: “Bananas are well known for being packed with potassium along with being rich in magnesium, vitamin B6, and protein.
“These nutrients help to produce sleep hormones serotonin and melatonin which help you doze off.”
Lee adds bananas help with boosting sleep hormones as they contain an amino acid known as tryptophan than “helps produce serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation by slowing down messages to nerve cells”.
Although a potent source of tryptophan, bananas are most well known as a source of potassium.
Potassium can help the body in a number of ways says Lee.
One of these ways is “by helping to relax your muscles. When you have low levels of potassium, your muscles become stiff which causes muscle cramps and spasms, disturbing a good night’s rest” says Lee.
Furthermore, potassium also helps to lower blood pressure by “relaxing your blood vessels and improving blood circulation. Consuming potassium also lowers pressure on your kidneys and helps to flush out extra sodium out of your body”.
Another vitamin found in bananas is magnesium.
This too can help with sleep.
Lee says: “Magnesium affects the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain that controls the pituitary and adrenal glands.
“When magnesium levels are low, these glands increase the stress hormones, which makes people feel anxious.”
However, while bananas work as a sleep aid, there is one caveat.
Over consumption of bananas can lead to weight gain without exercise to compensate.
Three large bananas equates to an extra 350 calories per day.
Furthermore, bananas also have high levels of sugar, contributing to weight gain.
Meanwhile, the NHS has a number of tips for improving sleep such as:
• Getting into a routine
• Writing a sleep diary
• Preparing the body for sleep
• Creating a restful environment.
More information about treating insomnia can be found on the NHS website.
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