Many people believe that eating before bed is bad for the body, especially for women who are conscious of their figures, who feel that eating before bed is not easy to digest and will affect their figure. In fact, some foods eaten before bed can help relax before sleep, improve sleep quality, relax tense muscles, calm nervous emotions, and help people achieve peace, thus摆脱ing the trouble of insomnia.
I. Foods rich in melatonin
The reason why foods rich in melatonin can improve sleep is that a person's sleep quality is closely related to a substance called melatonin in the brain. 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 decrease, causing people to wake up from sleep.
Research has found that after middle age, the amount of melatonin in the human body will gradually decrease. At the age of 40, it is one quarter of that in youth; at the age of 50, it is one sixth; and at the age of 60, it will drop to one tenth. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people can promote sleep by supplementing foods rich in melatonin. These foods include oats, sweet corn, tomatoes, and bananas.
II. Foods that counteract caffeine
The stimulating effect of tea can affect sleep. Therefore, if drinking tea during the day affects sleep, you can drink a few grams of sour jujube seeds soaked in water before bed, or cook porridge with sour jujube seeds and rice, and drink a small bowl before bed. Sour jujube seeds contain saponin A, saponin B, betulinic acid, betulinol, and three types of sterols, which can reduce the level of norepinephrine in the blood, thus counteracting poor sleep caused by caffeine.
III. Foods that inhibit 5-hydroxytryptamine
If you often feel drowsy during the day and have unstable sleep at night, you can eat a piece of steamed bun or bread before bed. This is because this group of people secretes more tryptophan during the day, which is converted into 5-hydroxytryptamine. 5-hydroxytryptamine has a hypnotic effect and can cause 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 content, making it easier for people to fall asleep.
IV. Foods that regulate the nervous system
If you have insufficient intake of zinc and copper for a long time, after a period of time, the human body will be affected by the lack of these two trace elements, affecting 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 sleep. In this case, eating more foods rich in zinc and copper for dinner, such as oysters, fish, lean meat, shrimp, and eel, can effectively improve symptoms of neurasthenia and ensure good sleep.
V. Kiwi
The occurrence of sleep disorders is related to excessive central nervous system arousal and excessive sympathetic nervous excitement, or is affected by the large secretion of stress hormones. Kiwi, rich in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C, helps the synthesis and transmission of nerve-conducting substances. Especially calcium has the effect of stabilizing emotions and inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system. Blending golden kiwi with milk, honey, ice cubes, etc. into a summer ice drink not only helps the body absorb vitamin E from the fruit seeds but also has the effect of increasing skin elasticity.
VI. Milk
Milk contains two hypnotic substances: one is tryptophan, which can promote the secretion of the sleep-inducing neurotransmitter serotonin by brain nerve cells; the other is peptides that regulate physiological functions. Among them, "opioid peptides" can bind with the central nervous system, exerting a similar anesthetic and analgesic effect to opium, making people feel comfortable all over, which is beneficial to relieving fatigue and falling asleep. Drinking a glass of milk before bed, the hypnotic substances in it are enough to have a sedative effect.
VII. Apple
Apples can treat deficiency of the spleen and flourishing of fire, and tonify the middle and replenish qi. They have a good effect on insomnia caused by deficiency of both the heart and spleen, yin deficiency with fire flourishing, disharmony of the liver and gallbladder, or disharmony of the stomach and intestines. In the aromatic components of apples, alcohols account for 92%, and carbonyl compounds account for 6%. Its rich aromatic smell has a strong sedative effect on the human nerves and can induce sleep. If there are no apples at home, you can try drinking a glass of warm water with a spoonful of vinegar, which can also promote sleep. In addition, placing a peeled or cut citrus fruit on the bedside table and smelling its aromatic fragrance can calm the central nervous system and help you fall asleep.
VIII. Walnut
Walnut is a nourishing and strengthening product that is beneficial to human neurasthenia, forgetfulness, insomnia, dreaminess, and loss of appetite. Eating some walnut kernels in the morning and evening, or taking walnut kernels and black sesame seeds, pound them into a fine powder, take 2 times a day, 10 grams each time, which is beneficial to sleep. According to modern scientific analysis, walnut kernels contain 15.4% protein, 40%-63% fat, 10% carbohydrates, and also contain calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, carotene, riboflavin, and vitamins A, B, C, E, etc. The delicious and fatty walnut kernels are not only rich in nutrition but also have special therapeutic effects.
IX. Wheat
It has a sweet and mild nature and has the effect of nourishing blood and calming the mind. Choose 60 grams of floating wheat, add 15 red dates, 30 grams of licorice, use 4 bowls of water, decoct to 1 bowl, and take it in the morning and evening. It can improve appetite and nutrition to prevent sub-health.