There are plenty of habits to promote one’s overall health but did you know that you can lower your risk of cancer through a good night’s sleep? 

In a recent study, researchers found out that losing a good night’s sleep can make cancer become more aggressive as well as increase its rate of growth. This is because poor sleep damages the immune system, making it lose its ability to control or eradicate early cancer cells. 

Because of the results of this study, there’s another reason to get good quality sleep throughout the evening. But then again, life and work gets in the way and as a result, 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems. Thankfully, some healthy remedies for getting a good night’s sleep can be found inside your kitchen cabinets!

 

Walnuts. Walnuts are known as a good source of tryptophan, a protein which enhances production of melatonin, thus regulating the body’s internal clock. Also, walnuts have their own store of melatonin inside which will help them fall asleep even faster. Seafood such as shrimp and lobster are also packed with tryptophan.

 

Cheese and crackers. That thing about milk helping you fall asleep may not be a foolish old wives’ tale after all but in truth, any dairy product will do. Calcium found in cheese, yogurt and milk can help the brain make use of tryptophan found in dairy to produce even more melatonin and trigger sleep.

 

Almonds. Rich in magnesium, almonds can enhance the quality of one’s sleep. According to one study published by the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, the inability to stay asleep could be linked to low levels of magnesium in the body.

 

Pretzels. Thanks to its high glycemic index, pretzels spike up your blood sugar and insulin levels shortening the time it takes you to fall asleep. If you’re looking to get rest, this increase in blood sugar and insulin increases the rate tryptophan enters you brain making it easier for you to fall asleep. The same is true for other foods with high glycemic index such as rice and honey.

 

Lettuce. Having salad for dinner is a great way to way to lose weight but did you know that lettuce has sedative properties too thanks to the lactucarium found in lettuce? To make a lettuce brew to help with sleep, simmer three to four large lettuce leaves in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add two sprigs of mint and sip right before you go to bed.

 

Cherry Juice. According to research done by the Universities of Pennsylvania and Rochester, tart cherries are natural boosters of melatonin. During the study, subjects who drank cherry juice experienced some relief of their insomnia symptoms.

 

Cereal. Whoever said cereal should only be eaten during the morning. The good people from the National Sleep Foundation say this tasty snack combines two components which will help you score some Zzzs: carbohydrates and calcium.

 

Chamomile Tea. Naturally containing glycine, a chemical that relaxes nerves and muscles, a cup of chamomile tea can act like a mild sedative and help you sleep.

Looking for other ways to help boost your quality of sleep? Make sure to schedule an appointment with one of South Florida’s top sleep therapist, Rebecca Ginder!