Can't sleep at night? 6 foods to help you achieve deep sleep.

Introduction: We all know that insomnia is one of the most distressing things, tossing and turning all night without being able to sleep. Not only does it leave you feeling mentally drained the next day, but it can also negatively impact your work performance. To improve insomnia, you can start with your diet. So, what should you eat for insomnia? Today, we're introducing several foods that can help you achieve deep sleep.

1. Foods that inhibit serotonin

If you often feel drowsy during the day but have restless 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 serotonin. Serotonin has a hypnotic effect, causing drowsiness. However, by night, the body's tryptophan levels are insufficient, making it difficult to fall asleep. Eating some steamed buns or bread at night can increase the body's tryptophan content, making it easier to fall asleep.

2. Foods that regulate nerves

If you have a long-term deficiency in zinc and copper, after a period of time, the body's energy metabolism in brain cells and the regulation of the nervous system will be affected due to the lack of these two trace elements. The endocrine system is often in an excited state, making it difficult to fall asleep. 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 a good night's sleep.

Fresh Shrimp with Asparagus and Hollow Noodles

3. Foods that counteract caffeine

The stimulating effects of tea can affect sleep. Therefore, if drinking tea during the day affects your sleep, you can soak a few grams of sour jujube seed in water to drink before bed, or cook it with rice to make a congee and drink a small bowl before sleeping. 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, thereby counteracting poor sleep caused by caffeine.

4. Milk

What to eat for insomnia? If you can't sleep at night, you can drink some milk. Milk contains two hypnotic substances: one is tryptophan, which promotes the secretion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that induces drowsiness, from brain nerve cells. The other is a peptide that regulates physiological functions; its "opioid-like peptide" can bind with the central nervous system, exerting a narcotic and analgesic effect similar to opiates, making people feel comfortable all over, which helps relieve fatigue and fall asleep. Drinking a glass of milk before bed contains enough of these hypnotic substances to have a sedative effect.

Milk and Walnut Drink

5. Apple

Apples can treat deficiency of the spleen with excess fire and replenish qi. They are quite effective for insomnia caused by deficiency of both the heart and spleen, yin deficiency with fire hyperactivity, 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%. The rich aroma has a strong sedative effect on the human nerves and can induce sleep.

6. Kiwi

The occurrence of sleep disorders is related to excessive arousal of the central nervous system and excessive excitement of the sympathetic nervous system, or it may be affected by the large secretion of stress hormones. Kiwis are rich in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C, which help in the synthesis and transmission of neurotransmitters. Calcium, in particular, has the effect of stabilizing mood and inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system. Blending kiwi, milk, honey, and water into a juice not only helps the body absorb vitamin E from the seeds but also has the effect of increasing skin elasticity.

Kiwi Papaya Smoothie