What's a good night's sleep?

That slice of turkey for dinner or the glass of warm milk before bed might not be your best choice after all in your quest for a great night's sleep. The amino acid, tryptophan, which is found in all protein-rich foods, boosts your levels of seratonin - a neurotransmitter in your brain that lifts your mood, but also helps you to relax and get a restful night's sleep. However, carbohydrates are actually better at moving the tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier so that it can boost these seratonin levels; there are many amino acids that make up a protein and they all compete for attention; most of them make it into your muscles, so it leaves a higher concentration of tryptophan in your blood. When you eat carbohydrates, insulin is released - insulin is the hormone that regulates blood sugar - the boost of insulin in your blood pushes the tryptophan (which is now all alone) through the blood and into your brain, raising your seratonin levels, relaxing you and inducing sleepiness (you're probably falling asleep reading this, but I'm almost done!!). So - instead of the milk (or ice cream...) which has some protein, or the turkey (proteins can take all night to digest!) - reach for a banana or an oatmeal cookie instead. Make sure whatever you choose is lowfat, as fat slows absorption - we don't want anything keeping you awake after all this!! Melissa