I am fairly healthy–except I can’t sleep. I eat healthy foods, don’t smoke, only drink alcohol occasionally, and have a pretty good outlook on life. I just can’t sleep.

I have been considering sleep medications after talking with my doctor. He said that Ambien or Lunesta will help me fall asleep. Maybe so, but I don’t want to become addicted to sleep medication.

After talking with a good friend who is a certified nutritionist, it’s clear that I have to eat specific foods and vitamins to better regulate my seratonin levels. 

You probably know that seratonin helps us fall asleep.  Seratonin is created in our bodies from other enzymes that we ingest.   Eating foods with Tryptophan (like Turkey) usually increases seratonin levels.  That’s why we are so tired after Thanksgiving Dinner!   Tryptophan is an amino acid that creates serotonin in the body.

The key to making seratonin in the body (according to the nutritionist) is increasing intake of vitamin B6.  This vitamin actually breaks down the tryptophan in our bodies and turns it into seratonin.  

Yes, vitamin B6 plus tryptophan equals sleep.  Lots of foods that are high in tryptophan also have significant amounts of vitamin B6.  You should try these foods to sleep better tonight:

• Yellow Fin Tuna
• Roasted Chicken Breast
• Calf’s Liver
• Roasted Turkey
• Salmon
• Cod
• Snapper
• Beef Tenderloin
• Halibut

All of these foods contain at least 25% of the daily value recommended by the FDA.  Healthy too!