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Struggling with getting enough sleep at night? You’re not alone.

According to the Center for Disease and Prevention in the United States, about 1 in 3 adults say that they are not getting enough sleep. This is quite worrisome because sleep (and good sleep at that) is incredibly important to your health and well-being. The quality and duration of your sleep affect a lot of conditions, such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even hypertension.

When it comes to your natural sleep cycle, several chemicals, enzymes, and hormones work in harmony to provide you with good sleep and regulate your sleep cycle. Some of these include melatonin, calcium, antioxidants, vitamin D, magnesium, to mention a few.

Taking knowledge from traditional and modern scientific research, we have compiled a list of foods that can help boost the quality of your sleep.

Ok, this one might not be especially surprising, but it makes the list nonetheless. Warm milk is perhaps the universal remedy for insomnia, and for good reasons. It contains four separate compounds that help in promoting sleep. These compounds are calcium, tryptophan, vitamin D and the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Of course, drinking warm milk might also have a psychological effect. During childhood, many people will remember their parents giving them a glass of warm milk before they went to bed to help them drift off.

The memories rustled up by the taste of warm milk may help to calm the mind as you recall your younger years.

Almond nuts contain the hormone melatonin in high concentrations. Melatonin is responsible for regulating your sleeping and waking cycle thus helping you to gently drift off once night falls.

A single ounce serving of whole almonds also contains about 75 milligrams of magnesium and another 76 milligrams of calcium. Studies have shown that these two minerals are also effective at treating insomnia.

What’s more, you won’t need to feel guilty about eating almonds before bed if you’re watching your weight. Almonds contain high concentrations of healthy fats while being low in saturated fats and sugar.

Another one from the nut family, walnuts are known to contain sleep-promoting compounds in relatively high amounts.

A 100g serving contains over 150mg of magnesium, over 441mg of potassium, and 98mg of calcium - all of which are known to assist the brain and body in falling into a restful slumber.

It may sound surprising, but eating a handful of these tasty nuts before bed could be the secret solution to all your sleep troubles.

A small study discovered that those who ate at least two kiwifruits an hour before bedtime for 4 weeks improved their sleep quantity and quality over those who didn’t. 

Not only did these participants enjoy better sleep but they also fell asleep much quicker. Kiwifruit is suspected of aiding sleep because it contains some compounds that help in promoting sleep, such as flavonoids, melatonin, anthocyanins, potassium, and calcium.

So, if you’re struggling to get enough shut-eye, stocking your shopping basket with kiwifruits could be the ticket to a restful slumber.

This delicious middle-eastern dip is undeniably popular, but would you be surprised if we told you it can also help you sleep like a baby?

 

Hummus is made from chickpeas, which as a member of the legume family, are known for being high in fiber, vitamin B6 and sleep-inducing tryptophan. Eating these compounds will not only help you to feel full but they’ll also boost your body’s production of melatonin - the sleep hormone.

 

So, if you don’t fancy a glass of warm milk, some kiwifruit or a handful of nuts before bed - grab yourself some hummus for a perfect night time snack!

Some people even swear by such things as apple cider vinegar and honey before sleep, it’s something you can try that won’t do any harm.

Insomnia may be incredibly common, but this frustrating condition can seriously impact your health and overall quality of life.

Luckily, you don’t need to rush to the pharmacy to get a good night’s rest. As this article has shown, there are many popular foods which harness the power to fight insomnia and help you drift off. What better excuse for a bedtime snack?