Diet plays a crucial role in overall health. The foods that you consume on a daily basis include essential vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that are absolutely necessary to regulate a number of bodily functions. A nutritional imbalance can result in health complications. Among known problems is insomnia, a severe sleep disorder that affects the quality of life. But the good news is that you can make simple diet changes and incorporate more foods that fight insomnia effectively.

Here are three rich sources of nutrition that help induce better sleep.

Poultry
Chicken and turkey are primarily great sources of protein. They form part of many diets that help with managing discomforts of associated disorders. However, these lean cuts of meat are also highly ranked among foods that fight insomnia. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid necessary to induce sleep is naturally abundant in chicken and turkey meats. This amino acid helps in the production of serotonin and melatonin, vital hormones that are responsible for regulating the body’s natural sleep cycle and mood. Another alternative is to have some eggs at night instead of in the morning. Eggs are an alternative source of natural tryptophan.

Fatty fish
Fish are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 plays a vital role in regulating bodily functions and, one such great example is the role of these fatty acids in maintaining optimum serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates the body’s sleeping and waking up patterns. Low levels in the body can cause insomnia exhibiting acute or chronic symptoms. Fatty fish are also rich in Vitamin D that naturally helps regulate the serotonin levels. Anchovies, herring, bluefish, sardines, salmon, mackerel, and trout are excellent sources of fatty fish.

White rice and whole grains
Many studies indicate that eating white rice at night can help induce quality sleep indirectly. The carbohydrate content in white rice naturally helps increase the blood sugar and insulin levels in the body. This means the body immediately starts breaking down foods into energy. The digestive activity indirectly triggers an active response from the brain to induce tryptophans to help the body quickly achieve a sleeping state. Alternatively, whole grains are also effective in encouraging the production of insulin to increase tryptophan activity in the brain. These grains are known to promote a sense of restfulness after a good wholesome meal.