By Daniel Uduh

Sleep is one important phenomenon the body can not do without. In fact, there becomes a disaster in the body system as soon as one can no more sleep. All living things may not show the same sleep pattern and duration, but they all exhibit some level of sleep. This goes to show how important deep sleep is to the body. Just like the engine of a machine that uses up, it’s fuel, water, oil, and chemicals (battery) while at work, the human body does the same when we are awake and get to replace, repair and repel every worn-out cell in the body as we sleep. The body has no other better time to fix this except when we are asleep. Our brain gets partially shot down at some time while we sleep and becomes very active at other times when it is believed to be cleaning up unwanted files in our memory in a bid to improve its efficiency. Quality sleep which results in one getting deeper in sleep is majorly what helps the brain to do all the necessary work our body needs while we sleep. This is why it is important we know that food can help us get the quality sleep the brain needs to carry out all these processes.

1. Banana

Banana is a well-known fruit all over the globe that it is liked by many due to the sweet taste and aroma. It is not only sweet but rich in magnesium and tryptophan(an amino acid). While magnesium is known for its ability to improve brain function, memory, and learning; tryptophan is known to prevent insomnia( a condition of the inability to sleep)(1). Adding a banana to dinner ( taking it 2 to 3 hours before bedtime ) is a good way to prepare for a sound and refreshing sleep.

2. Cherries

Cherry is a family name of a particular fruit not commonly found naturally in several places. There are over 800 species of cherry which include the Spanish, Celeste, sweetheart, maraschino, penny, morello, napoleon, Stella, sunburst, etc. Among them, all the bing cherry is known to be the sweetest. Cherries are a good source of melatonin. Tryptophan which is found in many foods can be synthesized in the body with the aid of melatonin. Melatonin helps to control the sleeping duration ( sleep and wake circle) of the body(3).

3. Salmon and mackerel

These are types of fishes known to be very rich in the human body. Apart from their high proteinous content, they are known to be rich in vitamin D which helps in improving quality sleep(1). They also boost body relaxation due to their rich omega-3 fatty acid content thereby allowing the body to rest properly.

4. Turkey

Turkey is known to be rich in tryptophan. Although tryptophan has been discovered to be in all meat with its highest in pork, it is also seen to be high in turkey meat. The presence of tryptophan in its nutritive content makes it one of the best meat to add to your dinner for better sleep.

5. Walnut

This is an incredible sleep booster. Walnut formerly known as Persian walnut is the nut of any tree of the family Juglandaceae. It is rich in magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese(1). Taking walnut with dinner will give one the opportunity to have a satisfying sleep.

6. Kiwi

Kiwi fruit is a fleshy berry-like fruit with a very sharp taste. It was first found in China and called Chinese gooseberry. They are rich in serotonin and antioxidant. Serotonin helps in sleep regulation, making kiwi fruit a good dinner fruit(1).

Thank you for reading. You can share it with your family and friends.

Sources: (1.) http://www.healthline.com; (2.) http://www.everydayhealth.com; (3.) http://www.britannica.com