Food Rich in Pineal Gland
The reason why foods rich in the pineal gland can improve sleep is that human sleep quality is closely related to a substance in the brain called melatonin. At night, darkness stimulates the human body to synthesize and secrete melatonin, which acts on the sleep center through blood circulation to make people feel sleepy. When it gets light, the pineal gland is stimulated by light and will reduce its secretion, causing people to wake up from sleep. Research has found that after middle age, the amount of melatonin in the human body gradually decreases: at 40, it is one-quarter of what it was in youth; at 50, it is one-sixth; and at 60, it drops to one-tenth. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people can promote sleep by consuming foods rich in melatonin. These foods include oats, sweet corn, tomatoes, and bananas.
Foods to Counteract Caffeine
The stimulating effects of tea can affect sleep. Therefore, if drinking too much tea during the day affects your sleep, you can drink water infused with a few grams of sour jujube seed before bed, or cook a congee with sour jujube seed and rice and drink a small bowl before sleeping. Sour jujube seed contains saponins A and B, betulinic acid, betulin, and three sterols, which can lower the level of norepinephrine in the blood, thereby counteracting poor sleep caused by caffeine.
Foods that Inhibit Serotonin
If you often feel drowsy during the day but have unstable sleep at night, you can eat a steamed bun or a piece of bread before bed. This is because this group of people secretes more tryptophan during the day. Tryptophan is converted into serotonin, which has a hypnotic effect and causes drowsiness. However, at night, the body's tryptophan is insufficient, making it difficult to fall asleep peacefully. Therefore, eating some steamed buns or bread at night can increase the body's tryptophan levels, making it easier to fall asleep.
Foods that Regulate Nerves
If you have a long-term insufficient intake of zinc and copper, after a period of time, the lack of these two trace elements will affect the energy metabolism of brain cells and the regulation of the nervous system. The endocrine system is often in an excited state, making it difficult to fall asleep. In this situation, eating more foods rich in zinc and copper at dinner, such as oysters, fish, lean meat, shrimp, and eels, can effectively improve symptoms of neurasthenia and ensure good sleep.