Bedtime Eats and Drinks To Help You Relax and Sleep

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As someone who appreciates all things foodie, especially when it’s good for my ADHD brain, I love that there is a growing fan base for night time, sleep friendly, foods.

Eating and drinking—for better sleep means more than just avoiding caffeine and heavy, heartburn-inducing foods at night. Certain foods and beverages can help you relax and fall asleep faster, sleep more restfully, and stay asleep all night.

Below is a list of Calming Food and Beverage ingredients to add to your grocery list:

Complex carbohydrates: think whole grain breads, crackers, and oatmeal which all contains tryptophan and bananas, which are rich in sleep-promoting potassium.
Nuts: almonds, cashews, and walnuts contain melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate your sleep/wake cycle. Eating them can increase your blood levels of the hormone, helping you sleep more soundly.
Lean proteins: like cottage cheese, string cheese, and Greek yogurt contain the amino acid tryptophan, which may increase serotonin levels. Serotonin is a brain chemical and low levels of it can contribute to insomnia.
Berries: like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries contain melatonin and may help you fall asleep faster and wake up less often during the night.
Cherries: are packed with melatonin, tryptophan, and serotonin.
Herbal teas: Chamomile, ginger, and peppermint are calming, decaffeinated choices.
Warm milk: studies suggest a link between the tryptophan and melatonin content of milk and improved sleep.
Warm spices: think turmeric, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Tumeric reduces inflammation, lowers your blood sugar levels, helps your liver to detoxify, boosts your immune system and eases your digestive system – all of which help you get to sleep faster, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed.

For a free download of these calming ingredients subscribe to the leADDership brief

Bedtime Drink Suggestions (recipes below):

Golden Milk: Laced with warm spices and tumuric this milk has many health benefits. I first heard about this from a new client who swears by it for herself and her teen daughter with ADHD. I’ve not tried it but since my client is so positive about it and doing a little research for this issue of the leADDership brief I’m intrigued and going to give it a go.
Tart Cherry Juice: it’s packed with melatonin, which helps your body stay asleep longer, in addition to tryptophan and serotonin for deeper sleep.
Herbal Tea
Warm milk

Bedtime Snack Suggestions (recipes below):

Almonds or Walnuts: a rich source of healthy fats and proteins, they also help the body produce melatonin, a hormone that tells the body it’s time to go to sleep.

Nut Butter Toast

Banana and Nut Butter Toast

Greek Yogurt with Berries and Nuts

Cottage Cheese with Nuts

Oatmeal with dried cherries and honey