Chasing Down Insomnia with Two Foods
I’ve suffered from insomnia for years, since a child actually. I’ve had problems both with falling asleep and staying asleep. I accepted that part of it may have been attributed to early (and possibly in-utero) imprints on my nervous system, and related to not feeling safe (my mother tells me I would scream whenever she would put me down in my crib - I am sure that was fun for her). But acceptance isn’t surrender.
Throughout the years, I’ve made it a mission to find ways to manage my insomnia.
Certain thing have been game changers:
Using curtains that block out light
A consistent before-bed ritual (magnesium lotion on skin and lavender or chamomile oil on head to induce relaxation; skin lotion/lip balm/hair oil as a beauty regime)
No phone or computer usage thirty minutes prior
In addition, I have stopped eating or drinking after 7pm (I imagine my stomach having a “Closed for Business” sign and all it’s employees happily going home).
I do, however, ingest the following before bend, that in combination, seems to work wonders for a falling and staying asleep:
A tablespoon of black sesame oil chased down by a shot glass size of coconut milk.
Why does this work for me? I looked up both ingredients, and now I get it
It turns out that black sesame oil has lots of magnesium and tryptophan to boost serotonin and melatonin production, reducing stress and calming the nervous system. It helps with both how long you sleep and the quality of that sleep.
Coconut milk also has high levels of magnesium (and potassium), which help relax muscles and calm the nervous system.
Eureka!
A note about the potassium in coconut milk: I do notice that, if I’m a bit hungry, i will have a half or whole banana and that will help too.
There is also a psychological element for me regarding coconut milk. I don’t consume dairy, but coconut milk reminds me of that milk-before-bed theory and it’s just so creamy and soothing to drink. The inflammatory effects of dairy (for me at least) are also non-existent with coconut milk, so my body is not up at night reacting to that.
Give it a try. If this doesn’t work, there is always counting sheep :)
