Eat Breakfast for a Good Night's Sleep

Do you usually make toast for breakfast in the morning? Do you grab a piece of fruit for a morning meal on the go? If so, you may want to reserve these snacks for later in the day-these foods, along with a few others, contain the hormones melatonin and serotonin, which can help you get up to 8 hours of sleep every night. Here are some common breakfast foods that you may want to consume for an evening snack.

Oatmeal.

Oatmeal contains melatonin, which helps to soothe the mind and body, as well as reduce stress. Melatonin can also help to cut down on tension in the muscles and joints, which can help you sleep longer and sounder. If you have trouble getting to sleep, you may want to make yourself a small bowl of oatmeal with honey or maple syrup before going to bed, or you can eat an oatmeal cookie or two with warm milk to help you relax.

Potatoes.

Potatoes, in the baked form, are great for the digestive system, and when you're GI tract is intact, you can sleep much better. It's actually not a good idea to go to sleep in a completely full stomach, since your digestive system will have to work overtime while you're sleeping to digest the food, which could be uncomfortable and leave you waking up feeling tired. Baked potatoes can do away with acid in the intestines that interfere with the function of tryptophan, another sleep-promoting hormone, and if you want to get to sleep quicker, you can mash up your baked potato with warm milk.

Bananas.

If you eat bananas for breakfast with cereal, you may wan to save these snacks for when you're about to turn in for the night. Bananas have melatonin, as well as serotonin, which can both sedate you and put you in a peaceful mood. These fruits also have magnesium, a mineral that relaxes muscles, so if you work out often, a banana after a workout is a good idea as well.

Wheat bread.