Eating breakfast for dinner can help you to sleep better

Virgin Radio

31 May 2022, 12:33

We all want to sleep well, and many of us will try just about anything for an extra forty winks.

Since the pandemic, around 23 million adults have reported sleep problems.

Joel Cooper shared his top tips for a good night's kip with The Sun.

We all know a good breakfast is essential for starting the day, but did you know some breakfast foods can improve your sleep?

Before you reach for the sugary cereal though, there's a few options that are much better for you.

Bananas are filled with potassium, which relaxes the muscles.

If you prefer a cooked breakfast, eggs are high in protein which can aid sleep, plus toast can also help regulate your blood sugar.

Here are some other tips to give you the sleep that dreams are made of.

Beeswax candles can help to induce sleep, as they contain octacosanol.

This is a chemical that helped lower stress levels and boosted sleep in one study of mice.

However, don't forget to blow it out before you go to sleep.

It's also important to spend time outdoors.

Getting some fresh air and time outside helps you to regulate your circadian rhythm.

The sunshine also increases vitamin D. It’s a win-win.

It can be tempting to try a glass of wine to go to sleep, but it can dehydrate you.

Plus, when your body breaks down the booze, it releases by-products that stimulate you, which is the opposite of what you want.

Another tip experts swear by is progressive muscle relaxation.

To do this, tense and relax each of your muscle groups.

You start with your toes and work your way up your body.

Tense each muscle group for around five seconds, then relax for 30 seconds.

Repainting your bedroom can also help.

If your walls are currently bright red, yellow or orange, then a survey found these bold colours could be keeping you awake.

Instead, they recommend cooler colours like blue, green or grey.