Night-time foods that help sleep tested
05-07-2013
A team of researchers at Northwestern University has trialled the sleep-friendly performance of a range of foods, finding that certain snacks do have properties that can help the transition into sleep when eaten at night.
Foods with high levels of tryptophan were found to be among the most effective supper-time snacks for bringing on sleep, with unprocessed turkey and non-fat milk two of the most popular. As well as tryptophan-rich products, foods that contained magnesium also scored highly for their sleep-friendly performance, with almonds topping the list. Calcium and potassium heavy foods were also found to aid muscle relaxation, promoting the calmed state that the body needs to be in prior to sleep.
Researchers noted that the foods should only be eaten in small quantities, in order to avoid a heavy digestion process that could negate the sleep-inducing effects.
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