Good Night, Sleep Tight

It is widely accepted that the amino acid tryptophan, found in foods such as dairy products, tuna and shell fish, turkey, bananas and soy, can not only help to lighten your mood but also help you sleep better. Who doesn't feel sleepy after a big thanksgiving dinner?

From Wikipedia "Tryptophan is a routine constituent of most protein-based foods or dietary proteins. It is particularly plentiful in Chocolate, Oats, Bananas, Durians, Mangoes, Dried Dates, Milk, Yogurt, Cottage cheese, Red meat, Eggs, Fish, Poultry, Sesame, Chickpeas, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Spirulina and Peanuts."

Wikipedia also notes that the amino acid tryptophan has been found to show promise in effectively in treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder and even depression.

Whfoods.com has a wonderful breakdown of the healthiest foods with tryptophan and the percent of daily value in each. They also list that tryptophan can help sleep disorders as well as Depression, Anxiety, Irritability, Impatience, Impulsiveness, Inability to concentrate, Weight gain or unexplained weight loss, Slow growth in children, Overeating and/or carbohydrate cravings and Poor dream recall.

So next time you find yourself having trouble sleeping, before you change your number on your sleep number bed, reach for a banana and some chocolate milk and drift off to a restful sleep the natural way and improve your mood in the process!