As we already know, without a night of proper sleep of 7-8 hours, it's difficult to function socially. Lack of sleep harms mental and physical health. A lot can change if we modify our diet, especially the last meal before bedtime. The foods that you eat have a lot of effect on the quality and the quantity of sleep. Include foods in your diet that are rich in magnesium content, tryptophan, B complex vitamins, omega 3, and vitamin D as they increase the release of melatonin, and one of the most important benefits of melatonin is that it regulates sleep.

Melatonin-Rich Foods that Should be Included in Your Food Plan

If you want to create a melatonin-rich food plan for better sleep, include these foods in your daily diet. Stay away from processed food and fill your plates with foods that are rich in nutrients that stimulate the release of melatonin. 

Eggs

An egg is one of the foods with the highest melatonin. Besides being a great source for inducing sleep, it is also rich in nutrients such as proteins, and iron. Have a boiled egg before bedtime for dinner to have a quality sleep. 

Fish 

Include oily fish such as tarts, sardines, and salmon tuna in lunch which is also a source of omega-3 fatty acid. Fishes also have melatonin which helps in getting sleep. Include fatty fishies in your diet 2-3 times a week to get the desired results. 

Milk

Milk is treated as one of the foods highest in melatonin that contains vitamin B and magnesium. The nutrients in milk help the melatonin in the body to work at full capacity of promoting a good sleep. It will treat your insomnia if you are tolerant to milk and can drink it regularly before bed. 

Nuts

Nuts such as walnuts, pistachios, and almonds are some of the highest sources of melatonin.  They are also good for overall health as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other minerals. Walnut increases the release of melatonin and serotonin as they are rich in amino acids, healthy fats, and tryptophans. Almonds are good as nighttime snacks as they contain magnesium help in the production of melatonin and induce sleep. Pistachios are rich in melatonin, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and vitamin b6 which aids in converting tryptophan into melatonin. 

Kiwi

Eating kiwi before dinner has been shown to have a sleep-inducing effect. Kiwis have a high content of antioxidants and vitamin C serotonin precursors. 

Read more: is plant-based melatonin for sleep safe and effective?  

Oats

Having oats for breakfast or dinner can help in promoting sleep. Oats let tryptophan enter the brain easily as it is rich in carbohydrates which can instigate the release of insulin. Other than these, oats contain vitamin B, fiber, and lots of other minerals. 

Bananas

Include a banana in your evening snack as it is one of the foods with the highest melatonin. Production of melatonin is at full potential as bananas contain minerals such as potassium, vitamin B6, and magnesium as well as tryptophan. Bananas contain good complex carbs which make you feel active all day long. 

Chamomile Tea 

Having chamomile tea before bedtime reduces anxiety and helps in the production of melatonin. Chamomile seeds contain apigenin which reacts with the receptors of the brain and induces sleep. 

Importance of Melatonin

The primary role of melatonin is to induce sleep but there are other important roles too that melatonin serves in the body. The importance of sleep is known to all and how it can affect our body negatively when there is an adequate amount of sleep. Some of the reasons why we need to have a melatonin-rich food plan are: 

• Eye Health: Melatonin-rich foods or melatonin supplements help in avoiding age-related macular degeneration or other eye-related issues. 

• Maintaining brain health among adults: the level of melatonin is most likely to decrease as age increases. Thus consuming foods highest in melatonin manually can reduce the possibility of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. 

• Better sleeping patterns among children: some health conditions such as dermatitis, asthma, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder hamper sleep patterns among children. Consuming melatonin-rich foods or taking supplements can help with sleep and the sleeping pattern among children. However, children should be given melatonin supplements under the recommendation of doctors. 

• Better sleeping hygiene among adults: some people suffer from delayed sleep or sleep-wake phrase disorder in which people find it difficult to sleep at night. Melatonin helps in maintaining healthy sleep hygiene among adults. 

• Sleep Restoration: melatonin helps people with insomnia to get restful sleep. In the case of jet lag too melatonin helps in restoring sleep. In addition to melatonin, lifestyle choices and homely tricks can also help to maintain a healthy sleep cycle.

Conclusion 

Food consumed plays an important role during bedtime. The antioxidants and nutrients in the food and drinks that we consume, instigate the production of sleep-regulating hormones, melatonin, and serotonin in the body which promotes sleep and increases the quality and duration of sleep. 

Some of the foods that should be avoided are spicy food, chocolate, pizza, tomatoes, and citrus fruits as they can interrupt digestion and cause acidity which interferes with the sleep cycle. It takes 2-3 hours to digest the food completely which is why it is advised not to eat and go to bed immediately. Give time for the food to digest or else it may cause acid reflux and other digestive issues. 

Good sleep can be overall promoted by maintaining a healthy sleep routine, following a melatonin-rich food plan throughout the day, proper exposure to sunlight and regular exercise, keeping yourself away from screen time for at least one hour before sleeping, avoiding eating junk, caffeinated, spicy foods before sleeping. 

Learn more about the importance of sleep and melatonin-rich foods by visiting our website Sova Health. Our products and blogs empower our customers with knowledge about gut issues and how they can affect our lifestyle and the solutions to those problems. Experience our services and let us help you through your journey towards better gut health.