The night is for you synonymous with anguish because sleep is a territory that you struggle to explore; you enter late at the cost of many anxieties or your sleep is inevitably interrupted by an impromptu awakening; in order to improve the quality of your nights, the solution may be in your pantry. In the sense that certain foods such as dates, wholemeal bread, honey, to name a few, have properties that act on the nervous system and stimulate chemicals such as melatonin and serotonin. These are directly related to the quality of sleep. So to sleep well, let's dine smart!
Discover in our slideshow, the 15 foods that help you fall asleep faster and not wake up in the night.
Melatonin is a hormone secreted primarily by the pineal gland. Each evening, a spike in melatonin is responsible for falling asleep. Over the night, the amount of the hormone in the blood decreases, to make room in the morning for another hormone, cortisol. In case of lack of melatonin (especially in winter) sleep can be altered, hence a prescription to improve its quality. Melatonin also has a role in mood, the immune system, the intestine, the skin, the regulation of body temperature... Collapsed levels of melatonin would also increase the risk of cancer.
According to ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety), food supplements containing melatonin should be avoided or their use subject to medical advice in pregnant women, children, and in certain patients with inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, epilepsy, asthma, or even mood, behavior or personality disorders. In general, ANSES recommends supervision of melatonin by a health professional , and use limited to a one-time use.
