HELPFUL  FOODS

HONEY

Try taking a teaspoon of honey at bedtime. Honey is a nutritious and an easily assimilated food, containing vitamins B & C, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, silica and potassium. The sugars in honey also have a calming effect, stimulating serotonin production, which quietens brain activity, induces relaxation and sleep – and may even help relieve the pain of headaches, neuralgia and arthritis.

WARM APPLE JUICE

Try a drink of warm apple juice nightly (including he peel) or a glass of celery juice just prior to retiring

LETTUCE

Lettuce is said to encourage sleep. Eat a large leaf half an hour before bedtime.

HONEY, LEMON & ORANGE

Try an old Slavic remedy for Insomnia. It calls for a combination of 2 tbs. of honey with the juice of a lemon and an orange. Mixed in half a glass of warm water, this beverage is said to provide the shortest route to dreamland. The darker the honey , the better it works

RAW ONION

Another old folk remedy is to place a cut raw onion beneath your pillow to correct insomnia. (I haven’t tried this one please let me know if it works)

PASSIONFRUIT

Ripe passionfruit makes a wonderful sedative for jangled nerves. A cup of passionfruit juice 30 minutes before retiring can relieve muscle spasms, jumpy or restless nerves, and facial neuralgia. Frequent consumption of passion fruit and its juice help to minimize the occurrence of epileptic seizures and reduces the incidence of convulsions.

PETUNIA TEA

Petunia Tea - A Popular Costa Rican Folk Remedy for restlessness and Insomnia

Brew half a cup of fresh Petunia petals and a few leaves in 1 ¼ cups of hot (not boiling) water, for 25 minutes. After which it can be strained , sweetened with a touch of pure maple syrup and a drop of pure vanilla extract , then slowly drunk while pleasantly lukewarm.

MOLASSES NIGHTCAP

Blackstrap molasses is a by-product of sugar refining, and it contains more calcium and iron than Milk and Liver, making it an excellent nerve and blood tonic; it also contains high quantities of calcium and many B Vitamins, including pantothenic acid. It is a marvellous nightcap for those who have trouble getting off to sleep and for anyone complaining of depression, irritability and nervousness. You can also add blackstrap molasses to yogurt, cereal or porridge.

Nightcap Recipe

2 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses

¾ cup of hot milk

Honey to taste

Hot water

2 teaspoons brewers yeast

Dissolve the molasses in a little hot water, stirring well, and then stir into the hot milk. Stir in the brewers yeast and a little honey to taste.

Sip before bedtime to induce peaceful sleep.

MILK

The amino acid tryptophan (found in milk as well as in other foods) is converted into serotonin in the body; increased serotonin levels generally induce sleep and prevent waking during the night