It’s true that our schedules have gone for a toss during the lockdown. We’re eating breakfast during lunch hours, working out when the sun goes down, Netflixing till 4 am – we’re making it tough for our body to reset our sleep cycle. This is also the reason why most of us wake up feeling groggy every morning because we do not have a proper sleep pattern in place. Instead of blaming COVID-19 and this lockdown, we must find a way to discipline ourselves. Let’s use the mornings to meditate, dedicate the day just for work, eat our meals on time and disconnect from all gadgets one hour before we hit the sack.
If you’ve tried all of these things and still not getting a good night’s rest, you may have to fine-tune your diet. You are what you eat and if you’re not eating healthy and clean, it’s going to show on your skin and disturb your sleep quality.
7 Foods That Will Improve Your Sleep Quality
Ready to get rid of those pesky dark circles and get the best sleep of your life? Get scrollin’!
1. Let’s Go Nuts!
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Two types of nuts that can improve your quality of sleep and that’s almonds and walnuts. Packed with high levels of magnesium and melatonin, the nuts help to relax your nervous system. Make it a priority to eat a handful of nuts every day. Another thing you can do with almonds is make a fresh cup of almond milk. Just soak a few almonds overnight, strain and wash them in the morning and blend the nuts along with water and there you have it – delicious almond milk.
2. Eat Your Greens
Leafy vegetables may not taste as delicious as a juicy hamburger, but they do promise you better health and sleep. Kale, lettuce, spinach and broccoli provide your body with three minerals – magnesium, calcium and potassium. Since calcium helps to produce melatonin, eating a salad for dinner is one of the healthiest sleeping choices you can make for yourself.
3. Chamomile Tea Loves You
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Every tea has a purpose and should not be consumed randomly. Let me give you an example –
- Green – promotes weight loss, speeds metabolism, wards off allergies
- Peppermint – relieves headaches, migraines and tension
- Hibiscus – lowers blood pressure and improves liver health
- Matcha – boosts energy and strengthens the immune system
- Chamomile – improves sleep quality, bloating and anxiety
Be mindful of the tea you drink, when you drink it and what purpose you drink it for. If you have trouble with sleeping, then as mentioned above, chamomile tea is the one for you. Chamomile has antioxidants in them that help you feel calm, relaxed and drowsy.
4. Bananas For The Win
Bananas are rich in potassium and Vitamin B6 which are essential for beauty rest. You can either team that banana with yoghurt for that perfect midnight snack or make a milkshake out of it using milk, 1 tbsp of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon powder.
5. Warm Milk Hits The Spot
End the day with not ice cream, but a glass of warm milk. Packed with sleep-promoting compounds like melatonin, Vitamin D and calcium, warm milk is bound to make you sleep like a kitten high on milk.
6. Kiwis Be So Delicious
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The next time you go down grocery shopping, pick up kiwis. Similar to milk, kiwis are rich in calcium and melatonin which are beneficial for getting your sleep cycle back on track. Eat kiwis an hour before bedtime to increase sleep efficiency.
7. A Bowl Of Ruby Red Cherries
Cherry season in India is from May to August, make sure that you eat a handful of them before bedtime during the season. Cherries are known to promote restful sleep. Loaded with fibre, vitamin C, E, potassium, melatonin and serotonin – not only will your skin’s texture improve, but also your sleep quality.
Let’s use this lockdown as an opportunity to work on our diet and not our Netflix-ing skills!
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