I read today that 70% of people have sleep problems. That number seems high to me; however, since high-stress lifestyles including crazy work schedules can cause sleep disorders, it makes sense. Almost everyone I know is working his or her butt off with no sign of stopping.
According to WebMD, new research shows that skipping dinner or not eating anything right before bedtime could be causing part of the problem. It all has to do with maintaining our metabolism. Throwing it off balance even a tiny bit can wake us up in the middle of the night. The article, which is called Trouble Sleeping? Some Bedtime Snacks Can Help You Sleep, suggests that eating a snack before bed can greatly improve sleep.
So the question becomes, what kind of bedtime snack is best? Obviously you want to avoid foods with caffeine (besides, we all know that eating chocolate before bed isn’t always the best idea… a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips). Apparently the best foods to snack on right before bed are ones that are high in tryptophan, an amino acid that induces sleep.
It’s no surprise that people in the States take a nap after Thanksgiving dinner because turkey is a food high in tryptophan. What other foods are high in tryptophan? It just so happens that the creative folks over at Wonder How To created an infographic with that information. This is a list of 20 snacks that are spiked with tryptophan. Chow down on these things before bed, and supposedly you’ll sleep better. Although for me, the traditional cookies and milk always does the trick.
Header Image Credit: [Helea / Shutterstock]
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