Five Foods That Can Help You Get A Great Night's Sleep

There's a popular belief amongst sleep experts that our diet can actually affect how we are sleeping. Perhaps you've found yourself that eating particular foods help you to sleep more than others! Well according to a small study reported in February of this year, the leading investigator Marie Pierre St-Onge said that the study found that "diet quality influenced sleep quality." Participants in the study who spent five days and nights at a sleep lab were monitored in terms of what they ate and their sleep cycle which included observing their brain waves, oxygen levels, heart rate and other factors.

Amongst other findings, one of the outcomes of this research showed that when the participants ate the nutritionist's planned meals that were lower in saturated fat and higher in protein, participants fell asleep faster than when they brought in their own food. You can find out more about the study's results as reported on CBSNews here. So we've established that what we eat can have an effect on how well we sleep, so now you'll be wanting to know what types of food we should be stocking the cupboards and fridge with instead to help bag yourself a restful and undisturbed night's sleep! We teamed up with SleepyPeople.com to offer their expert insight:

Oatmeal

Although you might be more used to eating oatmeal of a morning for breakfast, eating foods such as this can help to stimulate the release of insulin.

The release of insulin can help to clear amino acids that compete with tryptophan from the bloodstream which can help more of the amino acids that can induce sleep to enter the brain. Oats are also rich in a melatonin, the hormone that is responsible for making you sleep. Other oatmeal alternatives which you could also try eating to help you sleep could include whole-grain bread and oatmeal snack bars. Check out more ways in which oatmeal is a great choice of food to help you get your full quota of sleep by taking a look at Good Housekeeping's article here.

Tuna

Tuna, but also a number of fish in general including halibut and salmon are in rich B6 which your body needs to produce melatonin and serotonin, therefore will help you to enjoy a good quality night's sleep. Other foods that also boast vitamin B6 includes chickpeas, bananas, raw garlic and pistachio nuts.

Herbal Teas

You might drink a few cups of tea during the course of the day but did you know that a cup of herbal tea could help you to get to sleep? Chamomile in particular is a good option of teas as according to researchers, drinking the tea is associated with an increase of glycine, a chemical responsible for relaxing the nerves and tissues. Passionfruit tea may also be a good one to try before bed as an Australian study found that drinking this tea before bed helped to induce a better night's sleep as chemicals in the high levels in the flower can make you feel more sleep according to Reader's Digest article taking a look at foods to help you sleep better.

Yogurt

Certain minerals have been found to act as a natural remedy if you're experiencing trouble sleeping. Calcium found in a number of dairy products including yogurt helps the brain to produce the well known sleep inducing hormone melatonin by using the amino acid tryptophan. Research has even shown that you could have particular trouble sleeping if you are deficient in calcium. Leafy green vegetables such as kale and collards are also a great source of calcium! Take a look at a few of Eating Well's calcium-rich recipes to help inspire you as to how you can easily incorporate calcium into your diet and help ensure that you aren't being kept up in the night.

Cherries

If you're looking to help get a good night's sleep then all varieties of cherries are another well-known source of melatonin. EcoWatch reported on a small study which found that participants who drank eight ounces of tart cherry juice in the morning and again in the evening found that their sleeping habits were improved. Therefore, stocking up your fridges with whole cherries or even juice could prove to be a great way of helping you to sleep at night. These are just five foods which are found to help induce sleep however you can find out more at the BBC's good food Eat right, sleep tight article.