What should women with frequent insomnia eat?
Dec 12, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
Foods suitable for women who frequently suffer from insomnia generally include millet porridge, lily bulb and lotus seed soup, sour jujube seed congee, milk, longan and red date tea, etc. Millet is rich in tryptophan, a substance that promotes the brain's secretion of melatonin, helping to regulate sleep rhythms. Cooked millet porridge has a mild texture, is easy to digest, soothes the nerves, alleviates anxiety, and helps improve difficulties falling asleep and light sleep.
Women who frequently suffer from insomnia may benefit from eating certain foods such as millet porridge, lily bulb and lotus seed soup, sour jujube seed porridge, milk, longan red date tea, etc. Detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Millet Porridge: Millet is rich in tryptophan, a substance that promotes the brain's secretion of melatonin, helping regulate sleep rhythms. Cooked millet porridge has a mild texture, is easy to digest, calms the nerves, relieves anxiety, and improves difficulties with falling asleep or light sleep. It is suitable for consumption during dinner or before bedtime.
2. Lily Bulb and Lotus Seed Soup: Lily bulb nourishes yin, moistens the lungs, clears the heart, and calms the mind, while lotus seeds strengthen the spleen, stop diarrhea, nourish the heart, and promote tranquility. When cooked and consumed together, this soup helps ease nervous tension and alleviate symptoms associated with insomnia such as irritability and vivid dreams, creating a calm physiological state conducive to sleep. It is ideal for regular daily consumption to support overall balance.
3. Sour Jujube Seed Porridge: Sour jujube seed is a traditional ingredient known for calming the mind. It nourishes the heart and liver, and has sedative effects. Ground into powder and cooked with rice into a porridge, it has a mild flavor and can relieve insomnia caused by insufficient qi and blood or emotional fluctuations. It helps extend deep sleep duration and improve overall sleep quality.
4. Milk: Milk contains tryptophan and calcium. Calcium stabilizes nerve cell membranes, while tryptophan can be converted into melatonin. Drinking warm milk before bed helps relax the body and mind, soothe the nervous system, reduce nighttime awakenings, and facilitate faster onset of sleep. It is a commonly used beverage to promote sleep.
5. Longan Red Date Tea: Longan tonifies the heart and spleen and nourishes blood to calm the spirit, while red dates strengthen the middle energizer, boost qi, nourish blood, and calm the mind. Brewed together as a tea, they help improve insomnia caused by deficiency of qi and blood, relieve accompanying symptoms such as dull complexion and fatigue, and make it easier for the body to enter sleep through nourishment.
Insomnia management should combine dietary adjustments with healthy lifestyle habits. Avoid overeating or consuming spicy, stimulating foods at dinner. Stay away from electronic devices one hour before bedtime. Maintain a regular sleep schedule, avoid staying up late, and engage in gentle physical activities such as walking when appropriate.
