As a journalist who loves writing about psychology and happiness, I’ve come across this nutrient before – but mostly in research about foods that boost mood, not the quality of your snooze.
In their recently released guide to complementary medicinal answers to insomnia, however, GP Dr Vicki Kotsirilos and colleagues lead with this dietary remedy for sufferers of broken sleep…
Tryptophan.
Though it has been researched for eons, tryptophan is only just gaining traction in being more widely considered as “helpful for inducing sleep.”
So how does it work?
Your body needs this amino acid for the pineal gland’s production of serotonin (the ‘feel good’ hormone) and melatonin – a hormone that helps regulates body rhythms. In fact, in animal studies, consuming L-tryptophan raised blood melatonin levels fourfold.
As a side note, other nutrients are also critical to the production of melatonin, such as some B vitamins.
Munching more of the sleep nutrient
As Kotsirilos and co. report, foods high in the amino acid trytophan include:
- Bananas
- Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese and milk
- Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts
- Seafood
- Meats
- Poultry
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Rice
- Hummus
- Lentils
- Hazelnuts
- Peanuts
- Eggs
- Sesame seeds and sunflower seeds
Here comes the sun
To make sure your body’s stores of melatonin are adequate, say hi to the sun. As Kotsirilos writes, “Adopting a lifestyle that maximises the body’s production of melatonin through safe sun exposure and dietary sources of tryptophan is the safest approach.”
Get a blast of sunlight in the morning, suggests ABC Health Reporter, Sophie Scott as it will enhance your ability to turn the melatonin back on before sleep at night.
References available upon request
