How to sleep: Food to eat before bedtime to help you sleep – milk, bananas and oatmeal

Sleep is very important for the body and not having enough can be detrimental to a person's health. According to the NHS, in addition to bad mood and lack of concentration, lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and shorten life expectancy. It is recommended to sleep about eight hours a night. So what can you do to get the sleep you need?

What you eat can be extremely beneficial for good quality sleep, says the National Sleep Foundation.

Milk, bananas and oat flakes have been proven.

Milk

Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that induces sleep.

In one study ("Effect of melatonin-rich nightmilk on sleep and activity in institutionalized elderly subjects"), it has been shown that milk improves sleep, especially when it is taken at the same time as melatonin and exercise.

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles and can be found in fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds.

bananas

Bananas also contain tryptophan and are a good source of magnesium.

The sleep doctor, Michael J. Breus, explains on his website the role that magnesium plays in sleep: "Maintaining healthy magnesium levels often leads to a deeper and healthier sleep.

"Magnesium plays a role in supporting deep restorative sleep by maintaining healthy levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep."