Does Turkey Make You Sleepy?

Being able to sleep is a frustrating experience. After tossing and turning for a few nights, some people reach for a bottle of pills, but its safer to bring on sleep the natural way - through foods. Turkey almost always tops the list of sleep-inducing foods. Is turkey a good food for sleep?

Turkey and Sleep: Does Eating Turkey Cause Drowsiness?

Turkey is a good food for sleep because it contains tryptophan. Trytophan is a precursor to the brain neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps to promote calmness and make a person sleepy. On the other hand, theres nothing magical about turkey. Chicken has the same amount of tryptophan as turkey, and pork isnt far behind.

The key to eating turkey for sleep is to pair it with carbohydrates. The tryptophan in turkey will have a tough time reaching the brain if you dont. This is because tryptophan has to compete with other amino acids to make it into the brain. Eating carbs stimulates release of insulin, which ferries other amino acids into the interior of cells so there are fewer left in the blood to compete with tryptophan to reach the brain. This leaves tryptophan a clear path to get to where it needs to go to make serotonin.

If you plan on eating turkey for sleep, enjoy it on an empty stomach without consuming other protein sources, and dont forget to add some carbs. Make a turkey or chicken sandwich, and eat it slowly about an hour before bedtime. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol if you want to make it to dreamland.

Is Turkey Good Food for Sleep: The Bottom Line?

Turkey is one of the better sleep-inducing foods, but its not the only tryptophan-rich bedtime snack option. Chicken, pork and cheese are all decent sources of tryptophan. So, if you dont like turkey, dont fret. You have other choices. This is one time where high-glycemic carbs work in your favor, because they promote insulin release, which clears a path for tryptophan to enter the brain. The next time you cant sleep, pair a tryptophan-rich food with a high-glycemic carb, and youll soon be nodding off to sleep.

References:

Worlds Healthiest Foods website.

Merck Manual. Eighteenth edition. 2006.