The fact is that we are not getting the rest that we need, and if we ever did actually get that rest, we would notice a vast difference in our performance and energy levels that would amaze most of us. Most of us also don't realize the impact that the foods we eat during the day have on our sleep.

Most of us do, however, know that caffeine keeps us awake. So, of course you want to avoid anything that has caffeine in it at least six hours before bed time. But just as caffeine is something that keeps us awake, there are many foods that actually help us get better sleep. Any food that contains tryptophan is a ‘sleeper' food.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that produces melatonin in the brain. Melatonin slows down the traffic in the nerves and helps our brains rest. The brain, of course, is the body's commanding officer. When it's busy, so is the rest of the body - but when it takes some R & R, the rest of the body also gets to rest.

You've heard of people drinking a warm glass of milk in order to get to sleep. The ‘warm' part really has no effect on sleep. It is a psychological trigger that soothes us from our baby days, when our mothers fed us warmed milk or baby formula. The milk part of that, however, actually does aid us in sleep, because of the calcium and the tryptophan that is contained in milk.

The calcium actually helps the brain use the tryptophan in a more productive way, making it produce melatonin faster, which relaxes our brains enough to let us fall into a deep, relaxing sleep.

Life Force International has a product called OsteoProCare, which is a liquid calcium supplement. One of the first benefits of OsteoProCare that their customers notice is that they sleep better. Again, this is because of the calcium. Not only does this calcium help the brain produce melatonin, it also reduced pain and stiffness, and helps decrease leg cramps, restless legs, and muscle spasms that many people experience during the night. The only reason we mention a specific product here is because it is in a liquid form instead of a pill. The absorption into the bloodstream is much faster and your body utilizes more of it. This is unique in the calcium supplement market and we have not found any other calcium supplements that even comes close.

People that have used a liquid calcium supplement also report an increased sense of well being, which is also the result of a good night's sleep.

So, have that glass of milk before bed - warm or cold - and use a liquid calcium supplement during the day, at mealtimes, to not only aid in good sleep, but also to promote good health as well.