Bring Out the Turkey
We are all told that turkey makes us sleepy but is that really true? Yup.
I’m not going to bore you with the science of turkeys but you should get one thing out of this article: Tryptophan makes you sleepy.
Tryptophan is the chemical which creates the the feeling of drowsiness. It cannot be manufactured by the body, but taken in from foods – like turkey (although this isn’t the best food).
| Food | Tryptophan [g/100g of food] |
|---|---|
| egg, white, dried | 1.00 |
| spirulina, dried | 0.93 |
| cod, atlantic, dried | 0.70 |
| soybeans, raw | 0.59 |
| cheese, Parmesan | 0.56 |
| caribou | 0.46 |
| sesame seed | 0.37 |
| cheese, cheddar | 0.32 |
| sunflower seed | 0.30 |
| pork, chop | 0.25 |
| turkey | 0.24 |
| chicken | 0.24 |
| beef | 0.23 |
| salmon | 0.22 |
| lamb, chop | 0.21 |
| perch, Atlantic | 0.21 |
| egg | 0.17 |
| wheat flour, white | 0.13 |
| milk | 0.08 |
| rice, white | 0.08 |
| potatoes, russet | 0.02 |
| banana | 0.01 |
Source: WikiPedia
If you want an even more comprehensive list, check out this site (scroll to the bottom – left side).
How it works: Here is the simple science breakdown. You eat tryptophan, it gets taken into body, goes to brain, converted into serotonin, converted into melatonin, you become drowsy, you fall asleep. Ultimately, its the melatonin that makes you sleepy.
How to get it: Tryptophan is found in many different foods and usually goes hand-in-hand with casein, a type of protein. So the general rule of thumb is: the more casein, the more tryptophan. You can find foods high in tryptophan and not have to turn to any type of aid. Here is a list based on potency:
As you can see, turkey has just about the same levels of tryptophan as other poultry and meat. So why do we think that only turkey super-charges our sleep? Most American’s attribute turkey to Thanksgiving, where you eat not only turkey, but A LOT of delicious, succulent, mouth-wate… food. Its the carbohydrates in combination with the turkey that gives us the feeling of drowsiness.
How can I use this: The simplest way (in my opinion) to get tryptophan to sleep into your body is to have a dinner with high tryptophan count. In addition, before you go to sleep, drink a nice warm glass of milk. Not only would this help you sleep better, but it will also help you eat properly, hitting many of the food groups people neglect.
Editors Note:
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[...] has the chemical tryptophan which makes your sleepy. Drinking a warm glass of milk does help you get to [...]