How to sleep: Four drinks you can have before bed to help with a good night’s sleep

Sleep is so important for the body as it enables repair, keeps a person fit and ready for the next day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excessive weight gain, heart disease and increased illness duration. The ability to function and feel well while a person is awake depends on whether they’re getting enough total sleep and enough of each type of sleep. Sleeping is a basic human need, like eating, drinking, and breathing. Like these other needs, sleeping is a vital part of the foundation for good health and well-being throughout your lifetime. Thankfully, there are four drinks proven to help one sleep better.

READ MORE

• Visceral fat: Three ways to measure the harmful belly fat

Hot cocoa or chocolate

The sleep council advised: “A classic pre-bedtime beverage but hot cocoa isn’t to be confused with hot chocolate.

“Cocoa is powder without the fat from the cocoa butter whereas ‘drinking chocolate’ is shavings or pellets of chocolate melted and mixed with milk, cream or water.

“The drawback of hot chocolate is not just the caffeine but the sugar content. It also contains phenylethylamine, which causes a natural high.”

Warm milk

The sleep council said: “It’s an age old remedy but calcium is known to aid restful sleep which is why many sleep experts recommend a nice warm mug of milk before bed.

“It is effective in stress reduction and stabilisation of nerve fibres, including those in the brain – plus the psychological link between milk and going to bed might be responsible for its sleep boosting properties.”

Herbal tea

“A herbal tea like chamomile is a better option. It is believed to have a soothing effect which is probably due to the flavonoid apigenin, a secondary metabolite.

“Valerian and peppermint teas are also known to relax the body and soothe the stomach,” said the sleep council.

READ MORE

• How to live longer: Avoid this eating habit to increase life expectanc

Coffee/Tea

The sleep council added: “Avoid a coffee, black tea or green tea right before bed as the caffeine in them may be stimulating and keep you awake.

“However, some decaf varieties can get you into sleep mode in particular decaf green tea which contains theanine which has been proven to help reduce stress and promote more restful sleeping patterns.”

Cherry juice

“Cherries are naturally high in melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleep and regulates your internal clock.

“Look for tart cherries since they have especially high amounts of melatonin and steer clear from supermarket cherry juice which are loaded with sugar,” said the sleep council.

Source: Read Full Article