Do you struggle to sleep when stressed? The good (or perhaps comforting, at least) news is, you’re not alone. Recent data suggests that many Australians admit to sleep being the number one aspect in their lives impacted by stress.
The bad news for comes if you are like half of Aussies in that category, the 50 per cent who admit they turn to sugary or high-fat snacks during late night hours at least once a week.
There are better alternatives, though.
Sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo has nominated five snacks to help stressed-out Aussies get a good night’s sleep. Her top five night-time nibblies are kiwi fruit, a banana and strawberry smoothie, a can of tuna or fatty fish, a handful of almonds, and sour cherry juice.
Each of these can aid sleep in their own way, Ms Arezzolo says. Kiwi fruits have been shown to have some sleep-inducing properties thanks to their natural richness in serotonin, a key neurotransmitter in our body that plays a large role in many sleep mechanisms.
Fruit smoothies don’t necessarily offer any direct sleep assistance, but they provide a healthier alternative to sugar-rich processed desserts. Fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon and mackerel have exceptional amounts of vitamin D and omega 3, which have the potential of enhancing sleep quality, says Ms Arezzolo, as both have been shown to increase the production of serotonin.
Eating almonds regularly has also been linked to improved sleep quality. This is because almonds, along with several other types of nuts, are a source of the sleep regulating hormone melatonin.
As for sour cherry juice, it’s the also higher levels of melatonin that drinking it induces that do the trick in promoting better sleep quality.
Are you someone who heads down the path of comfort foods when stressed? Do any of Ms Arezzolo’s suggestions appeal to you?
.
