Eat Your Way To The Best Sleep Of Your Life

Sonja Langford

In an ideal world, we should all be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep every night (more if you’re younger than 18) — but in practice, that number is probably a little lower. And as you’ve probably experienced more than once, not getting enough sleep is one of the fastest ways to negatively impact your overall quality of life.

If you’re guilty of cheating yourself out of a full night’s sleep (who isn’t?), it might help to know that one of the easiest ways to improve your sleep health is to adjust your diet. Below, some foods that will help you get some real rest.

Cherry Juice

Rodion Kutsaev

According to one study from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Rochester, juice made from cherries, and tart cherries in particular, were effective at providing “modest beneficial effects” in adult subjects with insomnia. If you can’t find cherry juice at the grocery store, a bowl of tart cherries should do the trick.

Chamomile Tea

Flickr/Maria Keays/CC BY

Chamomile is a classic sleepy time drink that has been used for generations as a mild and natural sedative that calms nerves, reduces anxiety, and puts the drinker in sleep mode. According to one detailed study of chamomile’s therapeutic utility, “sedative effects may be due to the flavonoid, apigenin that binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain.”

Fish

Flickr/Alpha/CC BY SA

B6, a vitamin that is essential to your body’s production of both serotonin and melatonin, is high in salmon, tuna and most other fish.

Almonds

Juan José Valencia Antía

Almonds are naturally rich in magnesium, a mineral that facilitates sleep and muscle relaxation, and is also useful in fighting headaches. People with migraines and those who have difficulty sleeping have been found to have lower levels of magnesium than those with better rest.

Bananas

Lotte Lohr

Along with potassium, which helps relax your muscles, bananas contain magnesium and the amino acid tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin and melatonin.

Dairy

Alexander Maasch

The adage goes that a warm glass of milk will help send you off to sleep, but really, any dairy will do the trick. A small amount of tryptophan is present in dairy, though the real sleep aid is calcium, which reduces stress and helps stabilize nerves. Without sufficient calcium, you’ll have a harder time falling asleep each night.

Jasmine Rice

Flickr/Momo/CC BY SA

White rice, and jasmine rice especially, has a high glycemic index, which shortens the time it takes your body to fall asleep. For best results, eat a meal that contains jasmine rice four hours before your desired bedtime.

Honey

Sonja Langford

Honey contains glucose, which decreases the activity of orexin, a neuropeptide that regulates appetite, arousal, and alertness — so the less orexin present, the sleepier you are. Use honey to reduce orexin levels naturally, without the need for refined sugar.

Leafy Greens

Marta Reis

Leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and mustard greens are high in calcium, which helps create melatonin. Broccoli, collard greens, Swiss chard and turnip greens are also great sources of calcium.

Cereal

Ryan Pouncy

It might seem counterintuitive to add a bowl of cereal to the end of your day, but cereal contains the complex carbs that help tryptophan in the milk reach the brain faster. Something whole-grain with not too much sugar is ideal.