7 Healthy Habits to Help You Sleep

Do you have trouble sleeping? Or do you just not get enough of it because of work, nursing children, or simply staying up too late watching Netflix?

You’re not alone, whether you’re a mother or a busy woman who is trying to do it all.

Here’s a fact: You can’t “catch up” on sleep. This means the long-believed myth of waiting until later to make up for lost sleep is exactly that–a myth. Research has time and again shown that humans need at least seven or eight hours of sleep to promote good health. Not getting enough rest can lead to short-term, and even long-term, health problems.

Because of our diets and go-go lives, many of us don’t get enough of those treasured ZZZ’s. If you know that you don’t get at least seven hours of sleep on a nightly basis, start practicing the following 7 health and nutrition tips that lead to healthy sleep habits.

1 – Don’t Skip Breakfast…And Be Sure to Eat This

You should eat protein at every meal, but especially at breakfast. You probably don’t think of breakfast as having an impact on your sleep habits, since they’re at opposite ends of the day! Even so, countless studies have shown that eating breakfast is directly related to healthy sleep patterns. When you include protein at breakfast, you give yourself energy to move throughout the day, and then rest at night.

2 – Eggs Help You Sleep

Say what?! Yep, eat more eggs for better sleep. Did you know that egg whites get your body ready for bedtime? When you eat egg whites, your body produces melatonin which is a chemical that makes you feel sleepy. Eggs also contain tryptophan, a natural sleep booster.

3 – Add Magnesium-Rich Foods to Your Diet

Magnesium helps your body relax. Unfortunately, this is one mineral that many people don’t have enough of in their body. Magnesium helps regulate healthy melatonin levels, so you are more inclined to sleep in the evening. Consider taking a daily magnesium supplement or just eat more of the following foods which are high in magnesium – spinach, almonds, cashews, dark chocolate, edamame, beans and avocados.

4 – Eat Valerian Root

Valerian root is recommended in natural healing practices for treating depression, menopause and anxiety. In addition, this is an herb that improves sleep quality. You can cook with it, or simply take a valerian root supplement.

5 – Get Your Glycine for Better Sleep

Bone broth, eggs, poultry and spinach have a lot of glycine. Glycine is an amino acid that helps lower your body temperature. This signals your mind and nervous

system that it is time to sleep. Kiwis, fish, kale, cabbage and bananas also have significant levels of glycine.

6 – Drink More Water

A lack of hydration can lead to a lack of sleep. You need to stay hydrated all day long! The human body needs roughly a gallon of water to pass through its system each day so all its processes can work properly. This means if you don’t stay hydrated during the day, you may not sleep at night.

7 – Crank up Your Calcium Levels for a Better Night’s Rest

When you get calcium in your body, it orders your brain to produce melatonin. We’ve already talked about how melatonin promotes sleep, so calcium needs to be on the menu! Make sure you get calcium from healthy foods like dark leafy greens, sardines and soybeans, okra and broccoli.

Were some of these surprising to you, like eating eggs for better sleep? Let me know some of your tried and true health and nutrition tips that help you get the sleep you need.

Feeling stressed and anxious can also prevent you from settling down at night and resting well. Click here to download my FREE 60 Second Stress Buster Meditation which is my weapon against stress and anxiety, and it’s sure to help you relax.

Wishing you well,

Dr. Jessica