It’s official, we don’t sleep enough. A staggering 38 per cent of Britons are not getting enough sleep with women aged 35-44 affected the worst, research revealed last week.
The survey, conducted by Aviva, looked at the sleeping habits of 14 countries and found Brits were the worst sleepers. But, it's not all bad news. If you suffer from insomnia, nutritional therapist Rick Hay brings you the best foods to help you sleep.
Here are some suggestions of what you should eat.
GREEN, BLACK AND WHITE TEA: Certain amino acids found in foods can help with sleep by nourishing the nervous system. One of those being closely studied right now is L-theanine, dubbed ‘the relaxation amino acid’ and found in green tea, black tea, white and matcha green teas. L-theanine is an amino acid found to enhance sleep and also help reduce anxiety in a growing number of scientific papers.
CHAMOMILE: The health benefits of humble chamomile tea have been shown to be wide-ranging, from anti-inflammatory properties to wound healing, anti-diabetes and even benefits to the common cold and cardiovascular health. It’s best known for its effect on sleep and that’s not without some great evidence, thanks to a flavonoid it contains called apigenin and that has anti-anxiety properties.
CINNAMON: Cinnamon nourishes the nervous system by calming the blood sugar levels. Indeed, repeated research has shown it can even help lower the blood sugar levels of type 2 diabetics. This is important from an insomnia perspective because often if you find yourself waking up in the small hours, it could be down to blood sugar spikes that subsequently wake you up as your blood sugar drops. A small bowl of porridge with cinnamon before bed or even a little cinnamon in some chamomile tea could make early morning waking easier.
GINGER: Ginger calms the stomach, via a chemical ingredient called gingerol which helps with stomach contractions. It also relaxes the system generally and is also a good circulatory tonic. Ginger is a great overall tonic for the nervous system too.
LIQUORICE: Liquorice has long been used by naturopaths as a herbal medicine for depression and anxiety. Liquorice is known by people that study botanical medicine as an adrenal gland tonic. Your adrenal glands are responsible for the release of stress hormones and a busy high-pressure lifestyle can quickly leave them depleted, causing anxiety and depression. Adrenal tonic herbs or plants help to nourish the adrenals and calm a frazzled system.
PASSIONFRUIT: Another favourite is passion flower or passionfruit, this has had a lot of traditional use over time for calming the nervous system. Passionfruit and passionflower contain a compound called harman that has a hypnotic and sedative effect which has been shown to help insomnia and anxiety. It’s also been shown to help decrease anxiety and the quality and depth of sleep.
BAOBAB: Like citrus, baobab is a rich source of vitamin C, potassium and B complex vitamins. Because B vitamins are so important for the healthy functioning of the nervous system, a lack of them can cause problems including insomnia as well as depression. Potassium is helpful to help you stay asleep, research suggests. One study found that potassium could help regulate the body’s sleep/wake cycle, also known as circadian rhythm, which ensures we fall asleep and wake up when we when we need to.
LEMON, LIME, AND BLOOD ORANGE: Lemon, lime and blood orange are rich in vitamin C. This isn’t just just an immune booster but also nourishes the adrenal glands. When you nourish your adrenal glands the system calms down which can help with the anxiety and stress that can cause insomnia. Studies have also shown that a lack of vitamin C could contribute to sleep loss.
