In winter, getting warm and cosy in bed ready for a good night’s sleep sounds appealing. Well, it’s not quite the same if you can’t actually get to sleep! As you know sleep is vital for all aspects of your health. You know how you feel when you don’t get enough! Sleep is dependent upon having enough sleep-aiding nutrients in your body. So to help you ensure you’re getting enough of these, here are our 7 top nutrients for the good night's sleep you've been looking for, from nutrient rich foods that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle.

1. Vitamin C

Lack of Vitamin C can result in you waking during the night making you sleep interrupted. Here are some Vitamin C rich foods that you can add to our diet

• green leafy vegetables (only lightly cooked – steaming is best)
• capsicum,
• kiwifruit
• citrus fruits

2. Seratonin

Serotonin is a Neurotransmitter and the precursor for Melatonin – the hormone of sleep. Melatonin is only available on prescription; however, you can increase your production of serotonin by eating some carbohydrate-rich foods in particular:

• Pasta
• Brown rice
• Sweet potatoes and
• Potatoes

In this chain of events, Carbohydrates help you absorb Tryptophan, and this amino acid is converted into Serotonin in the brain, which in turns boosts Melatonin production. You’ll find Tryptophan in:

• Eggs
• Sweet Potato
• Chia seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Almonds
• Bananas
• yoghurt
• chicken and
• turkey

3. Potassium

Sleep maintenance is the term used to describe the problem of staying asleep once you get to sleep. Here Potassium can help so include some Potassium rich foods such as:

• Coconut Water
• Bananas
• Green Leafy Vegetables
• Seaweed
• Molasses
• Nuts and seeds

4. Calcium

The REM or Rapid Eye Movement cycle of sleep is essential for being able to learn complex tasks; making it vital for early childhood development. Lack of Calcium can disturb this cycle so to increase your Calcium level be sure to include:

• Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Sardines
• Sesame Seeds
• Oysters
• Seaweed
• Dried Fruit

5. Vitamin D

Sunshine brings you natural Vitamin D, vital for your body’s internal clock. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to sleepiness during the day and sleep disturbances at night. Try to get some natural light and sunshine into your day and eat more:

• Fish
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Liver
• Soy Milk

6. Vitamin B6

B6 is excellent to relax your nervous system, again through it’s ability to link in to Seratonin and Melatonin production and also to ease stress which affects your adrenal glands and the quality of your sleep. You can get Vitamin B6 from:

• Bananas
• Yoghurt
• Nuts
• Avocado
• Tomato
• Spinach
• Sweet Potato
• Eggs

7. Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the best nutrients to relax your body for a good night’s sleep.As you get older your need for Magnesium increases and with the stress of 21st Century living and the need for more exercise to combat our sedentary lifestyles we often use up more Magnesium than we put back. Caffeine decreases Magnesium levels so watch how much coffee you drink and make sure it’s the best available – preferably organic ground and black without sugar! Magnesium rich foods include:

• Green leafy vegetables
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Whole grains
• Cocoa

You may need to supplement your diet with specific vitamin, minerals and herbs from time to time, however incorporating some of the foods we have mentioned may go some way to helping you uncover the cause of your sleeping difficulties. Having a good supplement on-hand can sometimes alleviate the anxiety of not sleeping well and as such

Mr Vitamins recommends

Good Health Fast Asleep Good Health Fast Asleep assists in the management of stress and supports healthy sleep patterns including falling asleep, staying asleep and quality sleep. Find out more and shop online for Good Health Fast Asleep here Also ask for expert advice from our Naturopaths, on which sleep supplement is best for you