Sleep is crucial to leading a healthy life. Getting good and enough sleep can protect you from diseases and ensure that both your mind and body are at peace. But factors like late working hours and constant exposure to screens make it difficult to achieve this.

Causes of sleeplessness
Before you get to treating sleeplessness, it is important to understand what causes it. There are many reasons behind sleep deprivation and sleeplessness. While some causes of sleeplessness are minor, others need medical intervention. Sleeplessness can be triggered by various factors, such as lifestyle changes, aging, jet lag, and health conditions including an overactive bladder (OAB), sleep apnea, and insomnia. It can occur in both infants and adolescents.

Symptoms of sleeplessness

Some of the common indicators of sleeplessness are poor sleep, fatigue, frequent headaches, difficulty concentrating, mental exhaustion, and anxiety. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, then you should visit a doctor immediately. You might be advised to keep a sleep diary, which can help diagnose the condition better.

Foods that aid good sleep

There are plenty of foods that can help you sleep sound. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Almonds
  Almonds are a great source of nutrition. But little do people know that this delicious snack can help you get a good night’s rest. Almonds are rich in melatonin, which is a hormone that helps regulate your sleeping pattern. An ounce of whole almonds has enough magnesium and calcium to allow muscle relaxation, which further helps promote good sleep.
• Chamomile tea
  If you want a good night’s sleep but don’t want to eat at night, then try sipping some hot chamomile tea. Chamomile contains apigenin, a plant compound that induces sleep by reacting with certain brain receptors. It also helps boost your overall immune system and improve your skin.
• Warm milk
  Milk contains some components that help promote deep sleep, which include tryptophan, melatonin, vitamin D, and calcium. Sleep scientists believe that milk has psychosomatic qualities and various health benefits. Hence, a glass of warm milk can be a relaxing nightly ritual.
• Turkey
  Turkey is another food that will help you obtain better sleep. It contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is used in the production of melatonin, thereby encouraging sleep. This is the reason why many people feel sleepy after eating turkey.
• Fatty fish
  Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna are also good sleep-inducers. These foods contain high levels of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to improve the quality of sleep along with producing serotonin in the brain.
• White rice
  White rice may not be as nutritious as brown rice, but it has a high glycemic index (GI). Foods with a high GI are known to promote better sleep. Research has shown that consuming white rice an hour before bed can help improve sleep quality.

Products
Apart from food, there is a range of products that can help you achieve quality sleep, three of which include:

• White noise machine
  A white noise machine emits soothing sounds, such as those of rain, ocean, and birds chirping, among others. These sounds aid falling asleep naturally. White noise machines usually come with earphone jacks and a bunch of pre-installed sounds.
• Weighted blanket
  As the name suggests, weighted blankets are heavy blankets that facilitate deep pressure, thereby enabling better sleep. Studies have shown that weighted blankets reduce anxiety and promote better sleep.
• Blackout curtains
  Not sleeping in complete darkness can be disturbing for some individuals. If this is the case with you, then you can opt for blackout curtains that prevent both light and sound from entering the room.