A doctor told about the food habits that help normalize sleep

Alexey Danilov, MD, Head of the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Executive Director of the Association of Interdisciplinary Medicine, spoke about what food habits will help normalize sleep.

According to the expert, a light dinner and stable meal times help maintain circadian rhythms, which facilitates the process of falling asleep and improves sleep quality.

"Avoiding heavy meals before bed reduces the burden on the digestive system, allowing the body to relax faster. It is desirable to finish dinner at least two hours before bedtime," Danilov noted in a conversation with "Gazeta.Ru" on November 23.

He also emphasized that some foods contain substances that naturally support sleep. Kiwi is the main one of them, it contains a lot of serotonin and melatonin. The expert advised to eat two fruits an hour before going to bed.

"Nuts (walnuts, almonds) contain melatonin, tryptophan, as well as magnesium and calcium, which play an important role in sleep regulation. To improve sleep quality, 30 g of almonds (a small handful) in the evening or an hour before bedtime is enough," he added.

In addition, Danilov recommended chamomile tea. It contains the antioxidant apigenin, which binds to receptors in the brain and helps a person relax and fall asleep faster. According to the doctor, it is recommended to drink one glass of such tea 30 minutes before bedtime.

Earlier, on September 23, Danilov also told about the "30-minute rule", which allows you to determine whether a person has insomnia. If he spends more than half an hour to fall asleep, often wakes up before the alarm clock and spends time without sleep after night awakenings, the probability of having insomnia is very high. The expert also noted that the main cause of insomnia is anxious thoughts.