Bedtime Snacks that Help You Sleep

Below is an article from Yahoo regarding food snacks that aid a person to sleep (By Joy Bauer):

One of the best natural sedatives is tryptophan, an amino acid component of many plant and animal proteins.

Tryptophan is one of the ingredients necessary for the body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for creating feelings of calm, and for making you sleepy.
However, the trick is to combine foods that have some tryptophan with ample carbohydrate. That’s because in order for insomnia-busting tryptophan to work, it has to make its way to the brain.

Unfortunately, all amino acids compete for transport to the brain. When you add carbs, they cause the release of insulin, which takes the competing amino acids and incorporates them into muscle…but leaves tryptophan alone, so it can make its way to the brain, be converted to serotonin, and cause sleepiness.

Serotonin-producing bedtime snacks should be no more than 200 calories and should be eaten at least 30 minutes prior to bed.

Here are a few great ideas:

Bedtime Snacks for Adults

• 6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
• Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
• 3 cups low-fat popcorn sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Bedtime Snacks for Teens

• One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
• Low-fat granola bar
• Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream

Bedtime Snacks for Children

• 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding
• 1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter
• One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)

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Now, I'm not really encouraging you peeps to eat more to help you sleep. It may be one of the many ways to help insomnia, but don't be too dependent on it. The very 1st reason is that you might convert the extra bedtime snack into fat (or cellulites for female.) The snacks suggested looks harmless, but they do pack a punch if you do it long enough. Here's a few extra ways to help you sleep better.

1. Exercise regularly. Exercise should be sufficient if you manage to sweat it out 3 times a day, 20 minutes per session. Exercise aids in releasing chemicals like endorphins which stimulate our brain and has euphoric effects. Plus, when it drains enough of your physical energy, you tend to sleep better as you won't be feeling physically restless but mentally tired, a usual symptom of insomnia for some.
2. Do Yoga. Yoga has been proven to help relax the mind, so it really does help cure insomnia. Avoid those radical instructors whose aims are to break your bones and dislocate your joints.
3. Read a book. Get the most boring book ever that would make you sleep. It can be your course textbooks or any classic literature. For beginners, I would recommend Shakespeare for maximal effect. At least if it doesn't work, your friends would be impressed with your knowledge of Shakespeare's work! How bout that!!
4. Chat with your grandparents. No offense, but I bet most youngsters would be bored out, so this is a good effort for grandchild-grandparents bonding time. Your grandparents would understand if you had fallen asleep, and you might get a bigger Ang Pow for your next Chinese New Year because you might be your grandparents' favourite grandchild! For adults above 35, try your parents. *smirk*
5. "Fasten" your time sense. A human's time sense has an internal biological clock, so try tricking it. For example, if it's 11pm, tell yourself that it's 3am. It may not have immediate effect, but the time you needed to fall asleep would decrease slowly.
6. Avoid stress. Yes, stress is a major risk for insomnia. So avoidance is beneficial. So, put your books or work aside for a few days and relax. Go for a vacation. Avoid girlfriends or wives. They can be another stress-inducer. Caution: Your stress level may increase after you come back to work.
7. Drugs. This is a last resort as it can cause dependence. Consult your family physician before considering to take them.

Hope my advise could help you!

(Disclaimer: Do not treat the advice seriously as it may not work for certain people. If you have a serious insomnia, consult your doctor. Readers' discretion is advised)