Guest Post - Get A Better Nights Sleep With Seasonal Summer Eating

By Louise Matthews – Founder and Editor of The What Now Blog

www.thewhatnowblog.com

Tweet: @thewhatnowblog

In the warmer months a good nights slumber in the city can be hard to come by. The longer days and brighter mornings may be great for our sense of happiness and wellbeing but aren't ideal when it comes to getting that all important and coveted eight hours of shut eye.

In addition the heat leads us to open doors and windows, thus inviting in the noise of the outside world during the early hours that we could probably all do without.

There are a few things that you can do to try and enjoy the heat of the summer months and still get the rest that you need. This includes making sure that you make the most of the seasonal goodies in your daily diet that will assist you in a restful snooze.

SEASONAL TIPS FOR SUMMERTIME SNOOZING

1.     Avoid Alcohol. The odd tipple in the sun now and again might make you feel super sleepy and ready to relax but the reality is that alcohol will encourage nocturnal waking and contribute to very low quality sleep. Not only that but it will drastically dehydrate you, not what you need in the hot summer months.

2.     Snack On Seasonal Fresh Cherries. The summer months mean that cherries are at their very best in the UK. One of my favourite fruits and great to snack on, these little beauties will also offer you a dutiful dose of magnesium which is a top ingredient for sleeping soundly. Eating a small handful an hour before bed will help work wonders in the snooze department as well as contribute to your general health and wellbeing.

3.     Eat Your Greens. Spinach especially is a summer seasonal saint, so stock up and snack away. Eating seasonal greens will add much needed calcium and magnesium to nutritionally assist your sleep. I like to add raw spinach to pretty much everything - sandwiches, salads, pasta, you name it, I'll add it! Or whizz it up with a little apple and carrot for a healthy, sleep happy, detoxing juice.

4.     Eat Those A's! Summer seasonal apricots and almonds are another two great foods to snack on to aid restful sleep whilst also helping you avoid daytime sugary highs and slumps that can impact on your evening routine. Again both rich in magnesium they are two to add to your summer shopping list. Just go a little easy those apricots - a small handful will suffice, and not too close to bedtime!

5.     Eat At The Right Time. Long summer days bring about the temptation to lounge in the garden, grazing and eating later into the evening. Of course this is lovely on occasion, the problem is that eating much later can have a negative effect on your sleep patterns. Try to avoid late night eating and allow yourself time to digest and unwind before heading off to bed.

So there we have some simple, but I hope effective, advice for refining your sleep patterns in the summer months. Prepare yourself for the heat, eat well and allow yourself time to unwind and you should find yourself happily and peacefully dropping off in no time at all!