How many hours of sleep do you typically get in a night? Do you wish that you could wake up more refreshed and alert to start your day? Or do you wish you could maybe even wake up 30 minutes earlier for a little exercise before work or school? Sleep is something many of us deprive ourselves of because other events of life seem to get in the way. Think about how much better quality the hours you spend awake could be if you only sacrificed and hour or two to give yourself some extra rest. I am not here to present some sort of cure, as I struggle getting enough sleep myself. I do, however, want to give you a few ideas of foods to add to your diet that can potentially be promoters of a better night’s sleep. Mmm... B6 Various fish and especially salmon and tuna are easy to find at stores and have many health benefits. We know fish oil is good for your heart, but another common vitamin – B6 – is also found in this seafood. Vitamin B6 is used to make melatonin in the brain, which is a hormone to help trigger our minds to fall asleep.

Yogurt. Dairy products in general contain a lot of calcium. Not only is yogurt beneficial for digestive health and energy from protein, but the good amount of calcium within a serving could make it easier to fall asleep. This stems from studies that have shown that a lack of calcium could make it more difficult to fall asleep. So add some calcium to your diet because if you aren’t getting enough, it could play a role in why you can’t fall asleep.

Whole grains. In addition to falling asleep, studies have shown that a lack of magnesium in the diet can make it more difficult to stay asleep once you have achieved unconsciousness. Whole grains contain a good amount of magnesium and other nutrients for that promote-heart health. Make sure you consume some whole grains daily to help you stay asleep at night.

Bananas. I mentioned above that Vitamin B6 plays a role in developing melatonin. Bananas are a cheap, easy snack or breakfast food that we can all add to our daily intake. Potassium is vital to our nutrition as well, but now you know that having a banana for breakfast or an evening snack can help promote a better sleep at night as well. Teas, please!

Beverages. Warm milk or warm teas. These contain the enzyme ‘tryptophan’, which most of us know as the magic thing in turkey that cause aunts, uncles, and cousins alike to drop like flies after a big Thanksgiving feast. This enzyme encourages sleep, and having a glass of milk (add chocolate for even better taste) or hot tea can help lull you into ‘passing out’ mode. In conclusion, there are many ways in which we can help our bodies promote sleep (other than buying bedding from eLuxurySupply). Through appropriate diet and exercise (it’s hard to be tired if you haven’t done anything), we can help our bodies maximize the hours that we devote to our rest. It’s up to you to build the self-control to turn of the TV or computer and end up in bed sooner, or to not hit the snooze button five times before you build the courage to get out from under the covers in the morning. From all of us here, we wish you many nights of great sleep ahead!