Full of sleep-inducing substances like tryptophan, these foods can help you sleep better and longer.

Few things are more frustrating than desperately wanting to sleep, but tossing and turning instead. When you know you’ve got to get up early and then somehow make it through a grueling day, you might be tempted to turn to sleeping pills for a good night’s rest. But you may not realize that your refrigerator contains a powerful variety of foods that can help you sleep better. These 20 foods, from fresh cherries to miso soup, help regulate the hormones that control sleep, stress and relaxation.

Tart cherries

Tart cherries boost the body’s supply of melatonin, and they’re packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients. Eat fresh, ripe cherries, drink a glass of 100%, no-sugar-added tart cherry juice or snack on some dried cherries before bed (but watch it on the last one – the calories from dried fruit really add up fast!)

Popcorn

Tryptophan, the same amino acid found in turkey, is also in popcorn. Because it helps create the sleep-inducing neurotransmitter serotonin in our brains, it can be helpful in falling asleep. But skip the butter and oil; air-popped is best.

Almonds

How can a food that gives you energy also help you sleep better? Almonds do contain coenzyme Q10, which helps produce energy inside our cells, but it also contains tryptophan. Try mixing them with some of the other items on this list for best results.

Bread

As a high-glycemic food, bread can definitely help you feel sleepy, especially if you eat it within four hours of going to bed. But avoid it if you’re trying to stay slim; it’ll pack a rise in blood sugar that could cause weight gain.

Jasmine rice

As with bread, jasmine rice has a high glycemic index, meaning it breaks down quickly and causes a sharp rise in blood sugar.  Jasmine rice is much more starchy than other types of rice, like long-grain.

Chamomile tea

Place some pretty little chamomile flowers in your teapot and you’ll be out like a light. Studies have found that German chamomile helps relieve anxiety in low doses, and aids sleep in higher doses. Use 2-3 heaping teaspoons per cup of boiling water and let it steep for fifteen minutes.

Bananas

Packed with healthy carbohydrates, bananas can help you slow down a little bit. They, too, contain tryptophan, as well as substances that promote the production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. The magnesium found in bananas also aids in muscle relaxation.

Halibut

Most seafood contains tryptophan, but halibut is also rich in vitamin B6, a natural sleep aid. B6 plays a crucial role in the production of serotonin, and it can also help relieve leg cramps.

Milk

There really is some science behind the recommendation to drink a glass of warm milk before bed. Milk contains tryptophan, but another benefit comes from a surprising source: calcium, which can help lower stress levels.

Yogurt

It’s got all the same benefits as milk, but with protein to boot, so it’s a satisfying snack before bed. Just choose a sugar-free, low-fat variety to avoid weight gain or spikes in blood sugar.

Chickpeas

Protein and serotonin-boosting vitamin B6 make chickpeas a great choice for a relaxing late-night snack. Keep some chickpea salad in the fridge, or try some low-fat hummus.

Green tea

Green tea does contain low levels of caffeine, so unless you choose decaf, you may not want to drink it right before bed – save your nightcap for chamomile. But drinking green tea throughout the day can help you feel more calm. It may also help relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Oatmeal

It’s rich in calcium and magnesium, and the perfect partner for some bananas, milk and honey, making oatmeal a great choice for nighttime breakfasts.

Honey

This sweet treat raises your blood sugar just enough to reduce the production of orexin in your brain, a neurotransmitter that helps you stay awake. Drizzle it onto your oatmeal or take it in your tea.

Cereal

Choose a low-sugar fortified cereal as another great late-night snack that will help you drift off to sleep. The complex carbohydrates in many cereals can increase the availability of tryptophan in the bloodstream, and fortified cereals are often a great source of vitamin B6. Combine it with milk and bananas or dried cherries.

Edamame

Yep, it’s tryptophan again, in yet another unexpected food. A cup of soybeans has over 122% of your daily recommended value of tryptophan, and edamame is the freshest (and some might say tastiest) way to eat soy.

Potatoes

The carbohydrates in potatoes make them another high-glycemic food that can help you sleep more peacefully. Try a small serving of mashed potatoes with milk, topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

Miso

The amino acids in miso, which is made of fermented soybeans, can help boost melatonin production, helping you fall asleep. Miso also contains tryptophan. A warm mug of miso soup before bed might be just what you need.

Dark Chocolate

For the same reason that dark chocolate can help boost your metabolism, it can help you sleep better, too. Compounds in dark chocolate have been found to reduce the production of the hormone cortisol in the brain. This “stress hormone” is associated with weight gain, and the more stressed you are, the harder it is to quiet your thoughts at night. Eat it throughout the day to help you feel more relaxed, not right before you go to bed, since it does contain a little bit of caffeine.

Saffron

Rich orange-red hued saffron, which is the stigma of a variety of crocus flower, adds lots of flavor to foods. It also has a “mood-improving effect” that could aid in weight loss and help you relax. In a study on mice, a water-based extract of saffron reduced anxiety and increased total sleep time.

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20 Foods for Increased Energy and Better Sex Drive

20 Foods To Boost Your Metabolism

20 Foods To Banish Belly Fat

Photos:  kusine, ericabreetoe, jules:stonesoup, the unseasoned wok

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Helpful advice for all your health and beauty questions.

We have so many popular beauty and health stories, we thought we’d do a re-cap for those you may have missed.

1. Parabens, phthalates and Phenylenediamine, oh my! When it comes to making ourselves beautiful, there are lots of ugly ingredients to deal with. Our story on 11 Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients To Avoid is chock full of information that will make you think twice about painting your nails the next trendy color.

2. Can’t Sleep? 20 Natural Tips To Stop Turning And Tossing will put you to sleep (we hope), but not before you learn what might be at the core of your restlessness.

3. Have you ever tried meditation? How about popping a melatonin before plopping your head down? Our story on 7 Natural Sleep Aids will help you train your brain to do something else beside be preoccupied with your daily to-do list.

4. When you think of the Best Organic, Natural, and Eco-Friendly Shampoos For All Hair Types, you might think they will be too drying or not work as well as your more powerful salon-bought brands, but organic and natural products have come a long way. Editor Katherine Butler unveils some new lines that will make you look like you just walked out of a salon.

5. Women Over 40. Long Hair. Welcome To The New Beauty Controversy was a talk-fueling topic amongst readers. After all, why would it be considered “acting out” to have long hair as an over-40 woman? See what everyone has to say about the topic.

6. Remember what it was like to be a little girl with a healthy glow? How about the last  time you went camping and were able to commune with nature instead of your favorite makeup mirror? A Would You Go A Week Without Makeup? study revealed that “8 out of 10 women prefer their female colleagues to wear makeup and the same number of women said they would rather employ a woman who wore makeup than one who didn’t.” So when the world seems to look at makeup like a necessary mask, how does that make us feel about wearing it?

7. I got my nails painted last week in my favorite, non-toxic shade but had no idea that We Are Now A Nail Polish Economy (Say What?). From Cleopatra to a new Volvo campaign promoting the Soa, we women love to interpret mood via our nails.

8. As a society, we spend billions on our hair annually. It’s no wonder Oprah guru Dr. Oz says you should treat your hair like a silk blouse. What Does Our Hair Say About Our Health? will help you consider what your lifestyle is doing to your mop on top.

9. Does your breath feel less than fresh? Is your face oily? Do your lips look dry and flat? Our beauty team tackles these three challenges plus five more in an article on Simple Solutions To 8 Common Beauty Dilemmas.

10. The beauty term hypoallergenic has “been taken to task for false labeling by health officials, consumer advocates, and environmentalists alike. And that’s just the tip of the hypoallergenic iceberg,” says editor Katherine Butler. In Hypoallergenic Beauty Is a Lie: So Why Are We Still Animal Testing? Butler looks at how the term means virtually nothing to companies using it in their marketing.

This article is proudly sponsored by Saffron Rouge for March 2011.

Image: Vincent Boiteau

The post At a Glance: Top 10 Beauty and Health Stories at EcoSalon appeared first on EcoSalon.