The day to day can be stressful for women in business today. At Technalink, we encourage taking care of the full mind, body, and spirit to embrace your compassionate leadership, but this is difficult when the body suffers from lack of sleep or lack of care. A great night’s sleep may be just what today’s compassionate leader needs to reset themselves after a long day, but stress can make sleep scarce. Proper nutrition, however, can help to encourage better sleep, and a few snack ideas that can bring about better sleep are:
• A portion of nuts – A handful of nuts is a great healthy snack for many reasons. Nuts are filled with heart-healthy fats, they fill you up without many empty calories, and they may even help you to sleep better. Almonds and walnuts are natural sources of melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone in the body that regulates the wake/sleep cycle. When these types of nuts are eaten, they can increase melatonin in the blood, thereby helping you to get better sleep.
• A cup of tea – A cup of tea before bedtime isn’t a myth, and soothing caffeine-free choices like chamomile, peppermint, lavender, or ginger can make for the perfect relaxing bedtime routine. Not only do these types of teas have natural relaxing properties, but they can also trigger the mind that it’s time for bed when sipped on before going to bed each night.
• Healthy fruits – Fruits like banana, pineapple, oranges, and cherries contain melatonin like walnuts and almonds, creating the same improved sleep/wake cycle effect. These types of fruits are known to help some in falling asleep faster and sleeping peacefully throughout the night.
• Cottage cheese – For a snack that will fill you up quite a bit while promoting good sleep, cottage cheese is a solid choice. Cottage cheese is packed full of lean protein, while also containing the amino acid tryptophan. When serotonin levels are low, insomnia is a common side effect, and tryptophan has shown signs of increasing serotonin levels naturally. To add a touch of sweetness, sleep-promoting fruits like pineapple can turn the snack into a healthy dessert.
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