What You Eat Can Help You Sleep!

When you have trouble sleeping, it can be very frustrating and irritating and when it continues, leads to increased anxiety and even depression.

Difficulty in sleeping can be due to these reasons

• Too much caffeine as this is a stimulant and can be found in coffee and sodas.
• Sleeping disorders In addition to insomnia.  Such sleeping disorders include sleep apnea, snoring, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy.
• Stress often occurs when we just have to much to deal with during our daily lives.  Laying awake at night thinking about daily troubles is an all too common reason that people can't sleep very well.  One suggestion is to try and perform breathing exercises in an effort to let go of daily stress before bedtime.

Here are the top ten superfoods that will help you sleep more soundly

1. Kiwi fruit will boost your immunity and are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds - but also comes with a high concentration of serotonin, which is a precursor for the hormone melatonin that regulates your sleep-wake cycle.  One small study found that eating two kiwifruits one hour before bedtime for a four week stretch led to those who participated finding it easier to fall asleep and then slept more soundly.
2. Pumpkin seeds contain 37% of your daily magnesium requirement.  Magnesium is a mineral linked with healthy sleep because it activates the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) which helps calm the nervous system.  Studies in older adults have shown that magnesium supplementation can improve sleep quality and duration. If supplementing, it should be taken before bedtime.
3. Cheese is another suggestion because this protein-packed snack is also full of calcium, magnesium and tryptophan - so necessary for a good night’s sleep.  For example, just two tablespoons of cottage cheese an hour before bedtime supports metabolism and muscle recovery.
4. Tart cherries have a high dietary melatonin concentration and have also been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory characteristics.  Such characteristics may well be beneficial for improving sleep quality. Include a daily glass of natural tart cherry juice (with no added sugar) to improve both sleep time and sleep efficiency.  
5. Chamomile tea is a long held and natural remedy for aiding sleep with its calming and antioxidant properties.  Another herbal tea to try is low-caffeine green tea as this contains theanine, an amino acid that research has found can help lower stress and significantly improve sleep quality.  In addition, any tea made from the herb lemon balm contains naturally occurring oils with terpenes, organic compounds that can promote relaxation and better sleep.
6. A superfood you might not associate with improved sleep patterns is rice.  Brown rice is recommended as it is higher in fiber which helps prevent blood sugar spikes that may lower melatonin.  Suggestions for a bedtime snack include a rice-dairy combo of rice pudding with no added sugar or rice crackers or rice cakes with a glass of warm milk.
7. Nuts - and all the different types of nuts including almonds, walnuts and pistachios which contain melatonin along with magnesium and zinc while Brazil nuts are rich in the mineral selenium.  What could be easier for a night time snack than a handful of nuts or spreading some nut butter on a rice cake.
8. Bananas are full of electrolytes that help relax muscles and induce sleep.
9. Tomatoes contain lycopene which is a mineral that helps with sleep quality.
10. Pomegranates with their high magnesium content will help you to relax and sleep more soundly.