Just a brief search on the internet to discover that one of the most widespread problems with regard to well-being is that relating to the sphere of sleep, in short, we sleep little or too badly or too much.
Instead of immediately contacting the doctor and the support of drugs, we should learn to have, much more simply, a conscious life, at least as a first step.
Breaking your routine, reading, researching, discovering, getting informed, experimenting, can already be worth a lot.
Doing this we will discover that sleep is a delicate function that changes during the seasons of life and is further susceptible to changes depending on certain continuous behaviors or in case of trauma.
Stress, bad habits, a guilty conscience and incorrect diet are the main causes of all sleep problems.
But we can learn to regulate our sleep, master it, induce it, enjoy it . Let's focus on the contribution (or the obstacle!) That food brings to our sleep.
Sleep as a function
Sleep is a function of the organism through which energy can be recovered and rebalanced . Not for nothing in case of illness, the first instinct is an increase in disappointment and drowsiness.
The brain enters a different state of consciousness, producing different brain waves thanks to a series of very refined electrochemical processes. And when biochemistry comes into play, as in the case of melatonin and serotonin needed to regulate sleep and dream, even nutrition comes into play, as through digestion, numerous secondary metabolites, especially alkaloids, give off their effect.
Exactly, different foods have a different effect on sleep, and in case of already delicate situations, we will see that feeding can make the difference.
Let's discover some foods or substances and their effect on sleep .
1. Amarene
Being involved in the synthesis of serotonin, tryptophan is a very powerful amino acid in inducing sleep . One of the richest sources of tryptophan are the black cherries and in particular the black cherry juice . The black cherries (Prunus cerasus), together with the sour cherries and the marasca cherries, are often used under syrup in confectionery but the ideal is to wait for May and to stock up on fresh fruit.
2. Valerian
Popular wisdom has always told us that valerian induces sleep and calm, its roots are in fact rich in gamma-aminobutric acid, capable of inducing calm, slowing nerve operations and thus calming the effects of stress . The root has a strong taste and smell, often not pleasant, so on the advice of experts you can use capsules or make infusions.
3. Chamomile
If you can't sleep because of muscle contractions, you can use chamomile, another very old remedy. The presence of apigenin in the flowers, a flavone also present in celery and parsley, helps to relax the muscles with sedative effects, although as known, every rule has its exceptions and some people even find chamomile consumption exciting.
4. Lavender
The scent of lavender, always used in aromatherapy, would help induce sleep, causing relaxation and a sense of numbness . It has been noticed that people subjected to the scent of lavender ( making a bag to put under the pillow ) fall more easily into torpor and from there into drowsiness, a process witnessed by their electroencephalogram.
5. Hypericum
We know very well that hypericum has two main powers: fighting depression and remedying the problems of the wake-sleep cycle . The hypericin in it contained in fact induces an increase in serotonin in the brain, this is converted into melotonin, which in turn results in a longer and deeper sleep . Even in the case of St. John's Wort, capsules and infusions are sufficient.
6. Honorable mentions
Catnip (Nepeta cataria), thanks to nepetalactone, excites cats but induces a sleepy numbness in humans. Walnuts are another excellent source of tryptophan, as are chickpeas and almonds, which are also rich in magnesium .
Never underestimate lettuce ... eaten abundantly for dinner, thanks to lactucine, it has mild analgesic and sedative powers. And the passion fruit ? No, it does not induce passion but thanks to the armalic alkaloids it will give you the feeling of being tired.
Finally two words about the unknown edamame, a product of unripe soy beans in salt, typical of China, Japan and Korea: it is rich in natural estrogens able to induce and regulate sleep. What's more, it is very rich in micronutrients and vitamin B9.
