Have a big day tomorrow and want to make sure you get a good night's sleep? Good news: it's highly likely that you have one or several natural sleep remedies in your kitchen right now, which can easily be incorporated into your nighttime routine. We've opened the cupboards for you and selected a few:
- Warm milk: Warm milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that can help promote relaxation and sleepiness. Heat up a glass of milk and sip it for maximum absorption before bedtime.
- Chamomile tea: Chamomile tea is well-known for its calming properties. It contains compounds that can help reduce anxiety and promote sleep.
- Honey: Honey contains natural sugars that can slightly raise insulin levels and allow tryptophan to enter the brain more easily, promoting relaxation and sleepiness. Try adding a small amount of honey to warm water or herbal tea to create a soothing beverage and a moment of calm before bed.
- Cherry juice: Cherries are natural sources of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Drinking a small glass of cherry juice in the evening could help improve your sleep quality. If you don't like the taste of cherries, these fruity sleep gummies might be for you.
- Magnesium: Studies have shown that magnesium can help with with the onset and duration of sleep, and even increase the natural levels of melatonin in your body. Foods rich in magnesium include almonds, spinach, pumpkin seeds, and bananas. Incorporating these foods into your diet may support healthy sleep.
- Sleep Inducing herbs & spices: Ingredients like Nutmeg, Rooibos, Verbena, Valerian, Mint, Cinnamon and Saffron have sedative properties that can aid in sleep. Try adding a pinch to warm water, milk or an herbal tea. If you're looking for a good place to start, we love the Panda herbal tea as a great way to wind down before bedtime.
- Oatmeal: A light snack of whole-grain oatmeal before bed can also be a great sleep promoter. Oats contain complex carbohydrates that can bost your brain's production of serotonin - a neurotransmitter that contributes to relaxation and mood regulation.
- Whole-grain foods: Whole-grain foods, like bread, brown rice, or quinoa have a low glycemic index and can help stabilise blood sugar levels throughout the night. This can prevent blood sugar fluctuations that might disrupt sleep.
- Kiwi: Kiwi is a good source of serotonin - one of the key hormones which helps regulate sleep. Consuming a kiwi before bedtime can help improve your sleep quality and duration.
Remember, everyone is different and individual responses to these remedies may vary, so it's important to experiment and find what works best for you. Share your favourite natural sleep remedies with us in the comments below!