7 Foods That Help You Sleep

It should go without saying that getting a good night’s sleep is important. Sleep helps regulate a ton of our bodily functions, such as our immune system, our cognition, and even our hunger hormones.

However, as we age, things like alcohol, melatonin disrupting blue light from phone and TV screens, stress, and diet can all become culprits for poor sleep. With all of this stacked against us, gone are the days when drinking warm milk would help us fall fast asleep. 

So how do we go about improving sleep quality? Well, the common answer is typically improving your sleep hygiene.¹

While this is a good strategy, you may want to take your sleep improvement a step further than that. In reality, getting restful healthy sleep doesn’t just start an hour or two before bedtime.

Part of the trick lies in what you eat (or don’t eat) throughout the day. So, here are 7 foods that may help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and get better sleep, along with some bonus foods to avoid.

Tart Cherry Juice

Earlier this year the “sleepy girl mocktail” made waves as the drink to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.²

The ingredients primarily consist of some kind of fizzy water, a powdered magnesium supplement, and—*drum roll please*—tart cherry juice.

Turns out, it’s not all hype. Drinking tart cherry juice might in fact lead to better sleep quality.

In this study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, older adults diagnosed with insomnia who took an 8-ounce serving of tart cherry juice before bedtime saw improvement in their sleep-onset latency, reduced waking after sleep onset, increased total sleep time, and greater sleep efficiency.³

This is possibly due to the fact that tart cherry juice can increase melatonin production in our bodies.⁴

It may also be able to improve the availability of tryptophan in our bodies, an amino acid that can also promote sleep.

Finally, since tart cherry juice has anti-inflammatory antioxidant properties, this may reduce oxidative stress in our brains and bodies which can also contribute to more restful sleep.⁵

Fatty Fish

Eating healthy fats, especially those that come from fatty fish, has many health benefits. 

That’s because these types of fish typically contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and magnesium—three nutrients we could all consume a lot more of in our diets to improve overall health and bodily functions.

In particular, these three nutrients can help improve sleep.

Vitamin D deficiency is shown to increase the risk of sleep disorders.⁶ In Western society, we are more depleted of vitamin D due to our increased use of sunscreen, greater time spent indoors, and reduced consumption of foods that contain vitamin D.

While there is no conclusive evidence of Omega-3’s beneficial effects on sleep, recent research does suggest that it can reduce the occurrence of headaches, protect against memory impairment due to sleep deprivation, and improve sleep efficiency.^7,8,9

Finally, fatty fish, like salmon, have high levels of magnesium which is also shown to improve our sleep.¹⁰

There is no clinical research that conclusively proves that higher levels of fish consumption can increase serum levels of magnesium but in combination with other foods that contain magnesium, it could help!

Herbal Tea

Since time immemorial herbal teas have been used to soothe and alleviate a variety of ailments and are purported to contain numerous nutritional and health attributes.

Though we don’t use teas to cure illness as often today, they can still be useful. And herbal remedies for sleep are as plentiful as ever.

Herbs like Valerian root, lemon balm, ashwagandha, and chamomile tea can help you sleep

But each of these herbs function in different ways:

• Valerian root. Valerian root may have multiple methods for improving sleep.¹¹ It increases melatonin release, upregulates gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA) receptor (which is responsible for neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system), and may also have antidepressant and mood-stabilizing effects thanks to its ability to regulate hormones, particularly serotonin.
• Lemon balm. Administration of lemon balm extract can improve both symptoms of anxiety and insomnia.¹²
• Ashwagandha. This systematic review and meta-analysis found that ashwagandha has a small effect on sleep but does significantly improve mental alertness upon waking up and reduces anxiety levels.¹³
• Passionflower. In animal studies, passionflower was shown to increase total sleep time and time spent in sleep cycles (slow wave sleep) associated with higher-quality sleep.¹⁴ Although clinical trials in humans are lacking, one study did show a correlation with improved sleep quality.¹⁵
• Chamomile. This meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials shows that chamomile is safe and effective for reducing generalized anxiety disorder and improving sleep.¹⁶ However, there is no evidence that it can help with insomnia.
• Lavender. This review of 20 randomized controlled trials on the effects of lavender essential oil on sleep quality in adults found positive effects on sleep quality.¹⁷ Lavender tea mixed with other herbs could boost sleep.

Bananas

Growing up you may have heard that eating a banana before bed could alleviate growing pains. 

Well, this isn’t just an old wives tale—there is merit to this claim!

Bananas are high in potassium (9% DV) and magnesium (8% DV) which can help alleviate muscle soreness and encourage better sleep quality.¹⁸

So, instead of reaching for the ice cream, snack on a banana before bed to improve your sleep, especially if you had a strength training session that day. 

Whole Grain Bread

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that eating high-fiber, low-saturated fat meals leads to more time spent in slow-wave, deep sleep cycles.¹⁹

Unfortunately, adults in the US aren’t getting nearly enough fiber. The recommended daily serving of dietary fiber is about 25 to 30g, however, we only eat about 15g on average.²⁰

One of the best ways to increase dietary fiber intake is to eat more vegetables and fruits and swap out refined carbohydrates with whole-grain foods.

Eating more whole-wheat English muffins instead of white bread, whole-grain wraps instead of white flour tortillas, and whole-grain pasta in place of regular pasta are all easy ways to up your fiber intake without missing out on any of your favorite carbs.

Foods High in Tryptophan

The amino acid tryptophan is one of the many compounds involved in the sleep process. 

Its job is to convert into serotonin and melatonin, which both help regulate our sleep cycle. 

Foods high in tryptophan are also typically high in protein. These include:

• Nuts and seeds (particularly pumpkin seeds)
• Poultry
• Soy
• Eggs
• Dairy products

Foods High in Magnesium

Higher levels of magnesium in the body are associated with better overall sleep. 

Researchers are unsure how magnesium does this but clinical trials show that it promotes muscle relaxation (which could help with restless leg syndrome, increase sleep time, and improve sleep quality).

Magnesium has tons of other health benefits, including improved cardiovascular function, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, fewer migraine headache symptoms, and reduced risk of osteoporosis. 

I don’t know about you but those reasons alone would help me sleep better at night!

You can get more dietary magnesium from foods such as:

• Dark leafy greens
• Avocado
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Dairy products
• Fatty fish (such as salmon)

Are you noticing a pattern here? Increase the variety of foods in your diet and your body will thank you!

Foods to Avoid

Of course, if there are foods that can improve your sleep, there are also ones that can disrupt it, too.

Sugary Foods

Though after-dinner desserts like ice cream or cookies are quite common, sweet treats can cause blood sugar spikes, which can impact your sleep.²¹ If you’re craving something, reach for a banana with almond butter or a cup of frozen blueberries and enjoy your sweet dreams instead.

Foods with Hidden Caffeine

We all know coffee has caffeine (even decaffeinated coffee and tea!). But some foods contain caffeine that you may not have suspected.

For example, food that contains or is flavored with cocoa will contain caffeine.

While chocolate is a common midnight snack, it’s best to avoid it before bedtime or if you’re trying to fall back asleep

Sodas, especially diet sodas, may also contain caffeine. Don’t drink these along with your dinner if you eat close to your bedtime.

Yerba mate and matcha are two drinks you may not have associated with caffeine since they are typically promoted as health drinks. However, they contain between 50 and 80mg of caffeine per cup, respectively.

Spicy & Acidic Foods

There’s nothing worse than lying down for some much-needed rest after a long day only to find yourself experiencing acid reflux, heartburn, and indigestion.

Yup, that amazing meal of hot wings or tomato bisque might just be the culprit, especially if you washed it down with a beer.

Alcohol

This leads us to the final and probably biggest culprit of disrupted sleep in adults—alcohol.

No one who enjoys a nightcap or a glass of wine with dinner wants to hear it, but it’s true. Though alcohol is a sedative, it will not help you get a good night’s rest. 
Alcohol decreases sleep onset latency but decreases sleep quality, disrupts the normal phases of deep and light sleep, decreases the release of melatonin, and disturbs the circadian rhythm by reducing our sensitivity to light and sound.²²

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