6 Foods that will make your head fall to the pillow, yawn fest.

In the afternoons, when you have a stack of unfinished work, your eyes sag downward and within seconds you catnap like nobody’s business. Any individual will be quick to agree to this point. All that work has horribly disturbed your sleeping pattern and when you long for a blissful sleep, you’ll be wide awake in the dead of the night thinking of inconsequential yet intense things like- ‘What is the meaning of life?’

‘WHY CAN’T I SLEEP?’ you cry inside.      

‘That’s just how I function.’ your body calmly replies.

So, here are a few tips to switch from active mode to sleep mode faster.

Cheese and hummus 

Yes, Cheese. Now you’re grinning and slapping your hands together like a happy seal. Including cottage cheese in your dinner (don’t go overboard though) can help sleep kick in faster, especially as it directly affects your body’s serotonin levels. Not just cheese, but all dairy products have this magnificent power of helping you sleep better. As a natural source of amino acid tryptophan, hummus can do wonders to induce a good night’s sleep even to the most restless sleeper. Healthy, tasty and recommended for relaxed sleep, what more could you want?

Almonds and Walnuts 

If your hectic work schedule isn’t a powerful enough sleep inducer, then leave that task to the professionals. High in melatonin, or as we novices call it – body clock hormone, walnuts have an amazing ability to send your brain to dreamland faster. Backed by a pool of magnesium, almond and almond butter are also popular food choices to consume when one wishes for a good night’s rest.

Honey and Jelly beans 

A spoonful of honey, preferably mixed with tea, is a fantastic trick to set your sleep hormone in action. And you wondered why bears slept so much. Jelly beans hardly needs any introduction. Colorful, sweet and usually associated with a sugar rush, you may expect jelly beans to make you stay awake instead of letting you rest. However, the high sugar in honey and jelly beans indirectly help to raise your tryptophan levels and put you to sleep sooner.

White Rice and Potatoes 

Look no further than your staple diet. There is nothing more reassuring than tons of carbs to help overcome any insomniac tendencies. French fries, baked potatoes, and rice with curry are prime food sources that can induce sleep. Ask any rice eater who slacks off after a hearty meal, they’ll tell it like it is.

Dark chocolate 

There is yet another reason to dig into a bar of dark chocolate; unlike white chocolate, dark chocolate has unusually high amounts of serotonin that can put you to sleep faster than a sleeping potion.

Bananas and Cherries

Some fruits make your taste buds water, no questions asked. Bananas are a proven technique to invite a healthy slumber. After you gulp down a glassful of cherry juice, you’ll be sleeping like a log. Cherry juice is an extremely efficient method to get children back in the cot without a fuss.