Why Does Eating Onions Make You Sleepy?
Eating onions can make a person sleepy because they are rich in L-tryptophan, which is an amino acid that is a natural sedative. Eating onions cannot only help a person fall asleep at night, but can also help keep that same person at rest throughout the night.
There are other foods that also have L-tryptophan in large quantities and can help people fall asleep and sleep throughout the night. Bananas have both magnesium and potassium, which work to relax muscles and induce sleep. Other L-trytophan foods include apples, blueberries, strawberries, avocados, pineapples, peaches, spinach, mustard greens, asparagus, eggplant, winter squash, green peas, kelp, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms and cucumber.
Another popular sleep aid is chamomile tea. Drinking a few cups of chamomile tea before bed can help combat insomnia. Legumes are also rich in L-tryptophan and include mung beans, soybeans, lima beans, chickpeas and kidney beans. Walnuts are a natural source of melatonin and can therefore promote sleep.
There are other lifestyle changes that can also combat insomnia. People who keep regular hours by going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time every day find that they have better sleep. This is because the body is programmed then to fall asleep and get up at the same time. Creating a restful sleeping environment is also important. Make sure that the bedroom is dark, quiet and cool. Make sure that noises are controlled.
