You may argue that liquor acts as a sedative and initially helps to induce sleep. However, alcohol actually lightens and fragments sleep, causing you to wake up as your body metabolizes it. You may think you're out cold, but your not getting the full-rested sleep that you need. However, the right kind of eating can improve the quality of sleep as much as undermine it. No matter how much it pains you to admit it, your mother was right about the milk thing.
Milk has an amino acid that the body converts to a sleep-enhancing compound in the brain.
Calcium is a natural relaxing agent along with several other vitamins such as the B vitamins and magnesium. If hunger bothers you at night, have a light snack before bedtime. Some foods in particular promote production of melatonin , a hormone associated with the onset of sleep. Among these desirable snacks are cottage cheese , soy nuts , chicken , pumpkinseeds , and turkey . That's why you're such a slug after your Thanksgiving meal.