A good night’s rest regenerates our body and helps us feel and act better the next day. However, how can someone calm himself after a hard and stressful day, relax his muscles and fall asleep? Well, take a bite of something!


Are you still following your mother's advice and drink a cup of warm milk before going to bed? If you do, you are making a big mistake. Did you know that this drink is actually keeping you awake? In fact, the proteins in milk stimulate wakefulness, and the fat is slowing your digestion. That means that milk could interrupt your rest.

Hence, is there some food that could help you sleep?  Yes, there is. But only a bite or two because overeating before bedtime will not help you in this matter.

Have a look at eight proven groceries that can relax your body, calm your nerves and slow down rapid brainwork.


Half an hour before bedtime, eat some popcorn. Carbohydrates will stimulate the body to release serotonin, which will then relax the body. But leave out the fat, because fatty popcorn will slow down your digestion and the secretion of serotonin.



The hormone melatonin stimulates sleep, but stress and excitement can interfere with the release of melatonin. A combination of oatmeal and bananas will open the way for melatonin.








In a recent research, scientists from Slovakia gave to one group of people three grams of amino acids (lysine and arginine) and to the other, placebo. After that, the scientists asked them to deliver a speech. Levels of stress hormones revealed that speakers who received amino acids were half as anxious during and after the speech than those who took placebo.  Yogurt is one of the best sources of lysine, and nuts are very rich in arginine. 



Sesame is one of the best natural sources of tryptophan, an amino acid that stimulates sleep. However, do not overdo it – it could disrupt your digestion. It would be best if you take a few teaspoons of sesame seeds, grind them, and then eat them with yogurt.





Pretzels are a source of carbohydrates, which can make you fall asleep. They also contain very few calories and fat, and thus will not make you gain weight or cause difficult digestion.







Cherry juice contains carbohydrates that stimulate the secretion of serotonin. Drink it an hour before going to bed. Do not overdo it because your blood sugar levels could increase, and that would create an opposite effect.









Scientists at the University of Alabama did a research in which they were giving 200 mg of vitamin C to rats, twice a day.  They discovered that during this experiment they almost stopped the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone, in rats.  Red peppers are richer in vitamin C than most other vegetables and fruits. With enough vitamin C, you will strengthen your heart and protect your body from possible cancer attack and Alzheimer's disease.