Regulating glucose in the blood. Glucose is needed by cells for respiration. It is important that the concentration of glucose in the blood is maintained at a constant level. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates glucose levels in the blood.egulating glucose in the blood. Glucose is needed by cells for respiration. It is important that the concentration of glucose in the blood is maintained at a constant level. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates glucose levels in the blood.
1 Snooze Foods and Pick-Me-Ups Certain foods contain an amino acid called tryptophan that causes sleepiness. 2  Carbohydrates make tryptophan more available to the brain, which is why carbohydrate-heavy meals can make you drowsy. It is made in the brain by converting tryptophan first to serotonin and then to melatonin, which is secreted at night by the pineal gland in the brain to induce and maintain sleep. 2  Scientific evidence shows little or no benefit of melatonin in improving sleep.
In the last few years, the link between what we eat and our sleep patterns has emerged as an important piece in the obesity puzzle. Not only can the right food aid sleep, it works the other way too â better sleep promotes weight loss. Lack of sleep, however, has been found to stimulate production of hunger hormone ghrelin, which makes us overeat. Evidence shows that the more sleep you get, the fewer calories you eat the next day.