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The longer you are alive, the worse sleep typically becomes.

There is good scientific evidence to support certain nutrients as aids in falling asleep.

Tryptophan, bananas, beet juice, Magnolia bark, melatonin, lemon balm, and milk are just a few possibilities.

Millions of people around the world have poor sleep quality. If you’re reading this post, you’re likely one of those people. Sleep quality declines with normal aging. It’s inevitable. If your 10th birthday is a vague memory, then you’re probably not sleeping too well today. Humans sleep most soundly and deeply around the time of puberty. After those wonderful few years, sleep begins to degrade. The longer you are alive, the worse sleep usually becomes.

We cannot make our brain younger, but we can eat certain foods to counter the impact of poor sleep quality. The relationship between sleep and nutrition is not well studied. However, there is good scientific evidence to support these nutrients as aids in falling asleep.

Tryptophan‑Rich Foods

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, both of which positively influence sleep. Tryptophan can cross the blood-brain barrier, but not easily. Tryptophan must compete with virtually all of the other amino acids in the blood to get access to the brain. The best approach is to consume tryptophan-rich foods with a simple carbohydrate. The carbohydrate will induce insulin release, which will increase the percentage of tryptophan molecules that get across the blood-brain barrier.

A single dose of tryptophan (dietary or pharmaceutical) up to one gram will significantly reduce the time it takes to fall asleep without affecting sleep stages. This matters because most over-the-counter and medical prescriptions produce abnormal sleep patterns. Interestingly, tryptophan has minimal effects on healthy adults who fall asleep easily. Caution is necessary with supplements; too much pharmaceutical-grade tryptophan can produce eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, which........

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