Sweet dreams: Eating honey before you go to bed can help you sleep better
04/18/2019 / By Mary Miller
Did you know that eating sweets before bed can negatively impact the quality of your sleep? In turn, this can affect your energy levels and leave you feeling exhausted the next day. However, if you really need a way to indulge your sweet tooth at night, there is a natural alternative you can take, which is not only healthier, but can also help you sleep better at night. Honey is a potent superfood that can serve as an effective sleep remedy and natural relaxant.
Since ancient times, various cultures have used honey as both food and medicine. As a source of nutrition, honey is loaded with important antioxidants and natural compounds. It might sound counterintuitive at first to take something as sweet as honey every day, but its potential health benefits far outweigh its drawbacks. Honey is so much more than a healthier alternative to sugar. As a popular treatment for insomnia, honey promotes deep, restful sleep and helps your body relax. Additionally, taking honey on a daily basis can boost your vitality and can support the healthy functions of your immune, digestive, and respiratory systems. (Related: What happens to your body when you begin drinking honey every day?)
How does eating honey help you sleep better?
Eating honey at night can kick-start a whole chain of events throughout your body. Raw honey naturally contains high levels of fructose and glucose. Glucose can immediately boost your energy levels, whereas fructose gets stored in your liver as glycogen to serve as an energy source while you sleep. As you snooze, both the fructose and glucose work together to sustain your blood sugar levels. Healthy and stable blood sugar levels can reduce your midnight hunger pangs, which means you will be less likely to wake up in the middle of the night for a quick bite to eat. Moderate spikes in blood sugar levels can also contribute to the release of tryptophan, which then gets turned into serotonin. This neurotransmitter plays a number of roles in facilitating your body’s regular functions, including relaxing your brain and inducing sleep. Serotonin also leads to the production of the sleep hormone melatonin in your brain.
The best way to take honey before bed is to take a warm glass of water, squeeze in two halves of a sliced lemon, and mix the solution with a teaspoonful of honey. Drink this natural remedy every night, and not only will the quality of your sleep improve dramatically, but your body will be detoxified as well. Warm water, honey, and lemon can aid your digestive function and safely clear toxins from your gut. Another option would be to add honey to a cup of soothing chamomile tea. You can also just directly consume a teaspoon of raw, unpasteurized honey before bed.
Other ways to help you sleep better
Taking honey every night doesn’t have to be the only thing you can do to get more restful sleep. Here are other useful tips you can follow to help you drift off to dreamland:
- Avoid using electronic devices before bedtime. Using your cell phone or watching television at night can prevent your mind from winding down and relaxing. Prepare your mind for sleep by avoiding the bright lights of your gadgets at least an hour before bedtime.
- Avoid eating large amounts of food before bedtime. Eat your dinner at least two or more hours before bedtime. A small dose of raw honey should be the only exception. Be sure to take your honey or honey water at least 30 minutes before sleeping.
- Listen to relaxing music before bedtime. Studies have shown that listening to soothing jazz or classical music can provide calming effects on your brain. The less excitable your brain becomes, the easier it will be for you to fall asleep.
Honey is truly a versatile superfood. Visit Bees.news to learn of other uses for honey and its health benefits.
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