12 Foods That Help You Fall (and Stay) Asleep!

12Bananas

Can’t sleep? Eat a banana, says nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott. They’re high in potassium, which may calm restless legs and help prevent nighttime leg cramps.

Plus, bananas also provide magnesium, which helps relax muscles and nerves and promotes healthy circulation and digestion, according to Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist and author of “The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep.”

Peel and eat a banana or make a smoothie. Just cut it up and blend it with your favorite type of milk and ice.

11Salmon

Planning for a good night’s rest can start with a sleep-friendly dinner, says clinical psychologist Michael Breus.

A good main course is salmon because it offers a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce surges of stress hormones and promote restfulness, according to the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine.

Not a fan of salmon? Other fish, such as halibut, also provide the benefits of omega-3. Plus, these fish contain vitamin B-6, which is needed to make the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

10Tart Cherry Juice

Before insomnia strikes, have a drink. No, not alcohol, which can actually disrupt sleep patterns. Instead, try cherry juice. A 2010 Journal of Medicinal Food study, conducted on older adults, suggests that a glass of tart cherry juice, a natural source of melatonin, may significantly reduce insomnia.

Intrigued? Try this treat tonight, says clinical psychologist Michael Breus: Combine tart cherry juice, soy milk (or almond milk) and ice, then blend. “It’s the perfect bedtime snack.” If tart cherry juice isn’t available, try dried cherries (or fresh ones if they are in season).

9Kale

Ubiquitous cruciferous kale may help put you to sleep, says nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott. Kale is high in potassium and calcium, both of which have sleep-inducing properties. If you don’t want to crunch on kale right before bed, include it in a salad as part of your evening meal.

It’s never too early in the day to start planning for a good night’s sleep. If kale isn’t your thing, opt for another dark, leafy green like Swiss chard or spinach, which also contain plenty of potassium.

8Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium, which relaxes muscles and nerves and aids circulation and digestion, says clinical psychologist Michael Breus. They’re great baked, but you can also whip up some homemade sweet potato fries or find them in the frozen section of most grocery stores (baking them is the healthiest option, of course).

In addition to potassium, sweet potatoes are a good source of carbs, but “half of a sweet potato will give you enough of both,” says nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott. Other good sources of potassium include regular potatoes (for baked, keep the skin on), lima beans and papaya.

7Almonds

Almonds contain magnesium and can help ease you into a better night’s sleep. They also provide protein, which can help you maintain a stable blood sugar level while you’re sleeping.

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Clinical psychologist Michael Breus suggests snacking on a handful of almonds before bed. Or if you crave something more substantial, smooth some almond butter onto a slice of whole-grain toast.

6Chickpeas

Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas are a good source of vitamin B-6, which your body uses to produce serotonin, a mood elevator and stress buster, says clinical psychologist Michael Breus. The vitamin also helps synthesize melatonin, your body’s main sleep hormone.

Breus recommends eating chickpeas during the dinner hour to help promote sleep later. Try adding garbanzo beans to a healthy salad, but plan ahead, he advises: “The high levels of protein in beans can give you gas, which can disrupt your sleep.”

5Eggs

Does a late-night egg “over easy” sound appealing? It may be just the thing to help you sleep through the night. Eggs are a high-protein snack that can help keep your blood sugar levels stable so you can sleep through the night.

Enjoy an egg or two with a carbohydrate-rich food like whole-grain toast. Adding carbs allows the tryptophan from the protein to be more readily available.

4Milk

Does milk really help you sleep better? Some experts are on the fence due to lack of conclusive scientific studies. Others swear by the power of calcium, since it plays a direct role in the production of melatonin, which helps to maintain your body’s 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. Prefer soy milk to cow’s milk? That’s even better, says clinical psychologist Michael Breus.

A 2011 study published in Menopause Journal suggests soy products may help insomnia in menopausal women. “You’d have to drink a gallon and a half of warm milk to promote sleep. Soy products have been known to make people fall asleep faster and deeper,” says Breus. If you choose soy milk and are concerned about GMOs, look for an organic brand.

3Cereal

A small bowl of low-sugar, whole-grain cereal can be a healthy snack that sets the stage for sleep, says nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) suggests trying a carb-protein combo, such as whole-grain cereal and milk.

According to the NSF, carbs in cereal make tryptophan (an amino acid that causes sleepiness) more available to the brain. And the protein found in milk is actually a building block of tryptophan. Other carb-protein pairings Talbott suggests include peanut butter on toast or cheese and crackers.

2Herbal Tea Or Decaffeinated Green Tea

Experts say most varieties of decaf tea will encourage drowsiness. Green tea contains theanine, which may promote sleep, and nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott also extolls the relaxing effects from a blend of chamomile tea.

In study results Talbott presented at the Experimental Biology Scientific Conference in April 2014, researchers found that the tea decreased the time needed to fall asleep and increased total sleep duration, minutes of deep sleep and total sleep quality. Fix yourself a cup of tea before bed.

In addition to the sleep-inducing components of the tea, the warmth of the hot cup is sure to get you feeling drowsy.

1Oatmeal

A bowl of nice, warm oatmeal sounds comforting before bed, doesn’t it? Well, it also packs plenty of calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which may help make you fall asleep more quickly — not to mention that a deficiency in magnesium may make it more difficult to stay in slumber.

Just go easy on the sugar – too much before bed can have the opposite effect.