There is nothing college students need more than sleep. Whether it is the night before a big exam or the night after when lack of sleep from studying prevents the feeling of being tired, falling asleep can sometimes be difficult. Instead of taking a Nyquil or deciding to give up on sleep entirely and pull an all-nighter, consider having a snack that will fight your test anxiety and lull you to sleep.
The hormone, melatonin, is naturally occurring in the body and sold as a sleep aid because it regulates sleepiness. Melatonin is created by converting the amino acid, tryptophan, to serotonin, therefore eating foods rich in tryptophan or related to serotonin production can increase the amount and quality of your sleep. Foods rich in Vitamin B6 also encourage melatonin production.
Many lean proteins such as turkey, chicken, low-fat cheeses, and fish such as salmon, halibut or tuna are high in tryptophan. Complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat or whole grain bread, brown or jasmine rice, and cereal grains like bulgur and barley make tryptophan more readily available for the body to use and are rich in Vitamin B6. This would explain the drowsiness and “food coma” that oftentimes occurs after Thanksgiving dinner. Snacks that combine these melatonin-producing elements can make a great pre-bedtime snack! A whole grain or fiber-rich cereal and milk, low-fat yogurt, cheese (especially cheddar) and whole grain crackers, or peanut butter on toast or bananas not only provide the perfect recipe for sleep, but also have many other nutritional benefits.
While these foods encourage sleep, there are many others that can deter sleep from happening. Foods and drinks such as coffee, chocolate, and black tea should be avoided after 2 p.m. since they are high in caffeine. Alcohol, although it may cause drowsiness, encourages restless sleep that will leave you feeling tired and lethargic the next day. Additionally, it is also advised to avoid foods high in trans and saturated fat and spicy foods as they can bring down your serotonin levels making it more difficult to fall asleep.
Resources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/06/5-foods-that-help-you-sleep/
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/food-and-sleep
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/9_foods_to_help_you_sleep?page=7
Image Credit: https://phoodfotos.wordpress.com/tag/patisserie-bechler/