The Best (And Worst) Foods For A Good Night’s Sleep

The Best (And Worst) Foods For A Good Night’s Sleep

Sometimes, getting better sleep is just a matter of eating the right foods and avoiding others. US News has rounded up foods that are naturally sleep-inducing and perfect for a late-night snack.

Picture: Lucia Sanchez/Flickr

Two fruits in particular may be worth stocking up on if you often have poor sleep: cherries and bananas. Cherries are one of the few natural sources of melatonin, which has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. US News recommends a handful of cherries, juice or dried cherries an hour before bedtime.

If you don’t like the tart fruit, eat bananas a little earlier in the evening:

Bananas. Make them a daily staple. They’re packed with potassium and magnesium, nutrients that double as natural muscle relaxants. Plus, they contain the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan, which ultimately turns into serotonin and melatonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation; melatonin is a chemical that promotes sleepiness. It takes about an hour for tryptophan to reach the brain, so plan your snack accordingly.

The foods to avoid on the list are fairly obvious: caffeine, high-fat meals and alcohol.

Hit up the link below for even more foods to help you catch more Zzzz’s.

Sleep-Promoting (and Sleep-Stealing) Foods [US News]


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


2 responses to “The Best (And Worst) Foods For A Good Night’s Sleep”