Best Foods to Help You Sleep, According to a Dietician

To ensure you get enough in your diet you’ll need to stock up on plenty of dark, leafy greens as well as nuts, wholegrains, seeds and soybeans. Dark chocolate is also a good source, so no need to curb that late night sweet snack if that’s your thing.

Increase your tryptophan intake

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that’s used in the synthesis of protein in the body. Because it doesn’t occur naturally, we need to recoup it from our diets to have an adequate amount. Its vital role in promoting sleep comes because it’s also the sole precursor of serotonin, which is itself a precursor of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Taken just before bed—or eaten with your evening meal—it has been shown to decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. “Tryptophan, found in poultry, beef, tofu, oats, bananas and dairy, is pivotal for producing hormones that facilitate relaxation and sleep onset,” says Jordan, who recommends getting enough protein at each meal. “That’s about 25 to 30g, an amount roughly the size of your palm.” As well as supporting the production of these important hormones, proteins like these will also help stabilize your blood sugar levels, which means steadier, less spiked sleep.

More melatonin

Given that it’s the holy grail of sleep hormones, it makes sense to try and up your melatonin intake if you’re struggling to switch off at night. Failure to naturally produce enough can be down to several things, but elevated cortisol levels at night (when they should be decreasing and melatonin should be increasing) are often a factor.

Although it doesn’t actually make you fall asleep, melatonin puts you into a state of quiet wakefulness that helps to promote sleep. “For a natural source of melatonin, our sleep-promoting hormone, consider tart cherry juice,” says Jordan. “A post-dinner mocktail made with 200ml tart cherry juice, 100ml sparkling water, and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, served over ice with mint leaves, can signal to your body that it’s time to wind down, helping you fall asleep faster.” Most nuts (especially pistachios and almonds) are high in melatonin, while fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are also good sources. A pre-bed banana is also a good idea, as they can provide up to 26 percent of your daily recommended intake.