4 Foods To Improve Sleep Quality

The quality of our rest is based, in a fundamental way, in our life habits – in what we know, popularly, as routines. Regular exercise, meditation and technological disconnection before going to bed promote rest. Now, there are also certain foods capable of improving the quality of sleep.

The foods that we will talk about play this role when they are part of a varied and balanced diet. A deficit of micronutrients could alter the good rest, as well as the correct functioning of the human organism.

Foods to improve the quality of sleep

Try to consume the following foods at dinner or in the moments before going to bed in a moderate quantity to enjoy a better quality of sleep and a more restful sleep. This way you will be able to perform better on the next day.

Walnuts

Nuts are a source of tryptophan. This amino acid is essential for the synthesis of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter at rest. This is evidenced by research published in the journal Nutrients . The inclusion of foods that have a high concentration of this substance in the moments before sleep will improve the quality of it.

Of course, you should not go overboard with nuts. Despite being rich from a nutritional point of view, they are also very energetic. For this reason, excess consumption could generate an imbalance in the energy balance that would translate into worse rest and an increase in weight in the medium-long term.

Chocolate

Chocolate has many antioxidants. These are capable of neutralizing the formation of free radicals and their subsequent accumulation in the body’s tissues. In addition, according to a study published in Nutrition , this food has the power to help regulate the body’s biological clock, which means a better night’s sleep.

It is essential to take care of the hormonal circadian rhythms to ensure that the physiological processes are carried out in an optimal way. Otherwise, inefficiencies could be experienced in the medium term, leading to the development of complex pathologies.

Cocoa can help prevent these problems. Anyway, you have to choose a variety of chocolate with little sugar and a lot of content in the vegetable element.

Salmon

Salmon is a source of unsaturated fatty acids, of the omega 3 series. These nutrients help regulate inflammatory mechanisms, which improves the quality of sleep. When inflammation gets out of control, pain and migraines are more likely to appear. Both situations make good rest difficult. For this reason, it is necessary to provide unsaturated lipids on a regular basis in the diet.

Now, not only salmon is a source of these nutrients. All oily fish, extra virgin olive oil and avocado have a high concentration of omega 3. For their part, it is advisable to limit the use of other vegetable oils, such as seed oils. These provide more omega 6 than omega 3, which could be counterproductive in reducing inflammation.

Potato

Potatoes are sources of carbohydrates, although they also contain a certain amount of tryptophan in their interior. Its consumption in moderate doses prior to rest could improve the quality of sleep. They also provide a lot of fiber, so they generate satiety. This feeling is key to avoiding waking up in the middle of the night.

Of course, when consuming potatoes it is essential to pay attention to the cooking methods. We must prioritize the cooked and baked, avoiding the fried. The latter provide too many calories and fatty acids of the trans type, with inflammatory characteristics.

Include foods in your diet to improve sleep quality

As we have commented, it is possible to improve the quality of sleep by emphasizing the presence in the diet of certain foods. Now, it will be necessary to complement a good nutritional guideline with other healthy habits. Exercising daily will help you get to bed more tired, making it easier to rest.

In the same way, there are certain infusions or substances that can contribute to falling asleep more easily. The most widely used of them all is melatonin, which also has a powerful antioxidant effect on the body. It could help prevent the development of complex pathologies.