The best breakfast foods for a good nights sleep

A good wholesome Breakfast has been prescribed by all doctors and is the natural way of life for those who work in farms. However did you know its manifold benefits also extends to a goodnight’s sleep.

A sleep expert based out of UK, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, in her book ‘Tired but Wired’ mentions the importance of a good breakfast for necessary nutrients and most importantly for a sense of well being. She suggests eating eight almonds and two dates within 30 minutes of waking in the morning for a good night’s sleep.

These power packed foods are supposed to help produce the important hormone melotonin that helps you sleep better at night. A handful of nuts followed by fruits helps speed up metabolism and stabilises blood sugar. Ofcourse the key is also to stick to timing and routine as far as possible for maximum results.

Dr Ramlakhan also mentions how depriving yourself of a good breakfast unsettles the mind. “It is as easy as this, if you don’t take breakfast in the morning, your body tends to believe it is famined and induces stress hormones that are not conducive to restful sleep.” Hence breakfast also makes one feel more secure and prepares one to take on the day with confidence and when it comes to good sleep feeling happy and reassured is a major criteria.

Best breakfast foods for a good nights sleep

• Remember fiber and protein are important to give you that energy in the morning along with your carbohydrates, so ensure you have your cereals, oats, smoothies, porridge and eggs.

• Don’t forget bananas as they are filled with potassium and magnesium, both vitamins that help with muscle relaxation, as well as tryptophan. 
• While Melatonin, a hormone normalizes the sleep-wake cycle, Tryptophan, an α-amino acid which your body cannot make, it comes from either diet or supplements. Once tryptophan enters the body it’s used in creating the neurotransmitter serotonin and serotonin is in turn used to create melatonin.

Author Gurdip Hari propagates a good breakfast at 9am for a fitter and more positive you. In his book ‘Go Back to Nature and Heal Your ‘Self”, he cites the example of the British farmer lot and the farming community of north India, the Jat Sikhs especially as having the perfect dietary habits that ensures their strength in mind and body. He recommends their proportion of farm produced, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and milk kind of breakfast, coupled with exercise to match the physical work done by the farmer class. Hari after having experimented with a change in lifestyle claims to have himself cut off years from his age. Speaking of his breakfast he says, “My breakfast is loaded with a vast number of nutrients the body would need to stay active the entire day. The meal typically consists of a smoothie prepared with fresh milk, fruits and assorted nuts. I may also have some Indian delicacy like light Parantha with yoghurt, cornbread with saag or a highly nourishing chilla.”Hari like the farmer community sticks to two main meals; breakfast and an early dinner at 6 pm. He extols the benefits of the two-meal plan that is endorsed by the ancient yogic system of India too that emphasizes that following it could keep cancer and other health scares at bay. And if you are in tune with nature overall, you are bound to sleep better or more deeply. So it is time, you reconsider what you are consuming right from the time you wake up! our online mattress store should do the guesswork for you, and help develop optimal sleep performance!

(Photo Credit: Jonathan Colon)