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Mercy dietitian Kelly O’Connor

Mercy Dietitian Kelly O'Connor, RD, LD, CDE, Discusses How Certain Foods Aid In Sleep

While many people have sleep problems, doctors say you can help quell some of those issues by eating certain foods.

According to dietitian Kelly O'Connor, RD, LD, CDE, of The Endocrinology Center at Mercy, food won't cure sleep problems, but it can't hurt to try some things, including almonds, which are a good source of potassium and magnesium.

"What that allows them to do is relax the muscles so you feel more relaxed. And they're great in omega-3s, so they're healthy all-around," O'Connor said.

Bananas are another great source of potassium to relax muscles, and certain types of tea can help.

"You want to be sure you have something without caffeine — something with chamomile or valerian tea or lavender, but no caffeine. That will do the opposite of what you want," O'Connor said.

One of the other foods that can help induce sleep is dairy products.

"Dairy contains tryptophan. Like in turkey, tryptophan is used in making serotonin, and serotonin is what calms the activity in your brain," she said.

Seafood is another good source of tryptophan and protein.

"The good thing about these is they are light meals. You don't want a heavy meal, and you don't want a meal that is high in fat," she said.

Oatmeal is also a soothing snack that has complex carbs, which allow the body to have more tryptophan available. O'Connor said to make sure the oatmeal is low or no sugar, and the same goes for cereal.

"A little bowl of cereal is complex carbs. Combine it with dairy, which is your tryptophan. You don't want one that's too high in sugar. It will spike your blood sugar, and that will disturb sleep when (sugar levels) crash back down again," she explained.

Other good choices are cherries, which are high in melatonin, and miso soup because it may also boost melatonin levels, which can make a person sleepy.

To view Kelly O’Connor’s WBAL-TV11 “Woman’s Doctor” interview, click this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/27027568/detail.html