Home LivingWellnessSleep5 Christmas foods that help you sleep betterGet the best night’s sleep this Christmas with these 5 festive foodsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessSleep5 Christmas foods that help you sleep betterGet the best night’s sleep this Christmas with these 5 festive foodsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Get the best night’s sleep this Christmas with these 5 festive foods
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Nicole Michalou / Pexels)
(Image credit: Nicole Michalou / Pexels)
With Christmas only a few sleeps away, you’re probably looking forward to overindulging with festive food and drinks. The traditional centrepiece of Christmas Day is the big lunch or dinner, and after eating a mountainous amount of food, chances are you’re going to have a nap afterwards.
But why? Year on year, the whole family seems to fall asleep after Christmas lunch or have a longer deeper sleep that night on thebest mattress. The main thing that always gets blamed is the food, from the turkey to the cheese board.
If you’re interested in why you feel sleepy during Christmas or how to get a better night’s sleep to feel refreshed on Boxing Day, here are 5 foods that help you sleep better, reduce anxiety and improve brain health.
For more food and sleep tips, check out8 foods to eat for a good night’s sleep and 4 to avoid.
1. Turkey
(Image credit: Monstera / Pexels)
(Image credit: Monstera / Pexels)
Another reason turkey can make you feel sleepy is that it’s a source of protein. Overconsuming protein or meat puts a strain on your liver and kidneys which causes them to work overtime to break down the food, which results in you feeling tired. For more turkey information, we debunked popular turkey myths indoes turkey actually make you sleepy?
2. Roast potatoes
(Image credit: Pixabay / Pexels)
(Image credit: Pixabay / Pexels)
One of the biggest reasons you’ll feel tired after eating your Christmas lunch is because of the excessive amount of food you’ve eaten, specifically carbohydrates. Carbs like roast potatoes, stuffing and Yorkshire puddings will not only leave you feeling full, but they can make your blood sugar spike. This change in your blood sugar levels lead to a crash later on, which makes you feel fatigued and unfocused. When you eat carbs, your body will also release extra insulin to keep your blood sugar levels balanced which can trigger your sleep hormones.
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3. Cheddar cheese
(Image credit: Onder Ortel / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Onder Ortel / Unsplash)
Who doesn’t love a good cheese board at Christmas? Well, it turns out the cheese board could have a lot to do with why you take a Christmas nap. Similar to turkey, dairy products like milk and cheese contain tryptophan. While some hard cheeses can make you feel more alert, cheddar cheese actually has up to 60% more tryptophan in it than turkey, according toMen’s Health. And, if you’re eating cheddar cheese with a cracker, the tryptophan from the cheese and carbs from the cracker work together to leave you feeling tired.
4. Cranberries
(Image credit: Irita Antonevica / Pexels)
(Image credit: Irita Antonevica / Pexels)
5. Walnuts
(Image credit: Yusuf Arslan / Pexels)
(Image credit: Yusuf Arslan / Pexels)
Nuts are a staple at many Christmas tables, as an easy to grab appetiser or an ingredient in stuffing. Tree nuts like walnuts have many health benefits, due to their levels of melatonin, zinc and magnesium which improve sleep quality. Walnuts also contain fatty acids that are rich inomega 3 which helps increase serotonin production, so you should feel sleepy and happy after eating them. To get the sleep benefits from walnuts, you only need about a handful of them and they’re best consumed before bed for better sleep.
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