Are you suffering from pandemic stress and fatigue?  Seven months of social isolation due to Covid 19, combined with worries about the 2020 election is bad enough.  But many are exhausted with juggling home schooling and  trying to work at home. That’s if you’re lucky enough to have a job—which many don’t.   No wonder It’s difficult to get enough uninterrupted sleep  But did you know that certain foods like refried beans can help you sleep?

I’d forgotten about tryptophan until last night, when we picked up some Mexican food.  That’s one good thing about the pandemic.  Since we don’t care to take a chance eating in restaurants, we’re trying out a lot of carry out from new places.  Gotta add some variety to our life, right? The day before had been stressful, with little things going wrong,.  Then, there was  the disturbing vice presidential debate with Harris smirking and grimacing, and Pence’s red eye, and  a fly crawling on his head.  Not conducive to a good night’s sleep.

We stumbled around in a fog the next day, and used what little energy we could muster to pick up some tacos and refried beans. I was afraid the spicy food might keep us awake,  However, both of us slept like logs, and woke up feeling rested.

Black  and pinto beans in Mexican dishes can help with insomnia.   Why?  because they contain an amino acid called  tryptophan which gets converted into the hormone melatonin, which makes you sleepy.

Several other foods are a good source of tryptophan.  Ever wonder why you’re so sleepy after a big Thanksgiving feast?  It could be due to that big serving of roasted turkey.

Some people try to get their tryptophan the easy way—by taking pills.  Not a good idea.  Side affects may  include nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, headache, dry mouth and drowsiness. Other potential side effects of this supplement include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion and gas.

Anyway, It’s a lot more fun eating Mexican food  than taking pills   And–best of all–refried beans can help you sleep.