PJEndicott

Not only can food and drink keep us awake at night, with the biggest culprits being caffeine and smoking, it is also known that certain foods can help us to get a good night's sleep.

According to www.sleepdeprivation.com the following foods can make getting a good night's sleep a dream come true:

• Almonds: Almonds contain both tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a sedative, and magnesium, which acts as a muscle relaxant.

• Bananas: Bananas contains melatonin and serotonin, chemicals known to help the body sleep, as well as magnesium.

• Chamomile Tea: Chamomile tea's mild sedating effect has helped many restless people fall asleep.

• Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are bursting with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are natural mood lifters and can prepare your body and mind for sleep.

• Honey: Consuming too much sugar before bedtime can keep you awake. However, eating just a little glucose before hitting the sack alerts your brain to stop producing orexin, a neurotransmitter that keeps us alert. Add a little honey to your tea or milk prior to bedtime.

• Milk and Dairy Products: Milk and dairy products contain tryptophan and calcium, both of which help the brain effectively use tryptophan.

• Oatmeal: Oatmeal contains melatonin, which prepares your body for sleep. To up its effectiveness, make your oatmeal with milk and top it with a drizzle of honey.

• Potatoes: Eating a small baked potato or a small serving of mashed or roasted potatoes will clear your body of acids that can block the effects of tryptophan.

• Turkey: As many Thanksgiving diners know, turkey contains tryptophan. To get the most from the tryptophan in turkey, eat a slice of white turkey meat on a slice of whole-wheat bread in the middle of the evening.

• Whole-Wheat Bread: Eating a slice of whole-wheat bread will trigger your body to release insulin, which can help deliver tryptophan to your brain. Once in your brain, the tryptophan is converted to serotonin.

Granny used to say that a warm milky drink would help us to sleep - and Granny was right! Although Granny may have known that milk helped to ensure a restful night she was probably unaware that milk contains high levels of tryptophan which help the brain to feel good and stop the body feeling pangs of hunger.