Whether you’re having some trouble catching shut-eye, or you just want to wake up feeling more refreshed in the morning, a good place to start is with what’s on your plate. As an added bonus, getting enough sleep can also help you slim down. Women who report better sleep were 33 percent more likely to hit their weight-loss goals, according to a study published in the journalObesity. Check out these foods that help you sleep.
Read More:4 Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep, According to an Expert
1. Kiwi
Recipe to Try:Green Fruit Salad
This green fruit may be the ultimate pre-bed snack. When volunteers ate twokiwisan hour before hitting the hay, they slept almost a full extra hour, foundresearch from Taipei Medical University in Taiwan. Kiwis are full of vitamins C and E, serotonin and folate—all of which may help you snooze.
2. Soyfoods
Recipe to Try:Soy-Lime Roasted Tofu
Foods made withsoysuch astofu,misoandedamame, are rich in isoflavones. These compounds increase the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that influences the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Adults who ate two or more soy servings a day slept longer and reported the best-quality sleep, according to a2015Nutrition Journalstudy.
3. Fiber-Rich Foods
Get the Recipe:Blueberry Almond Chia Pudding
Eating more fibercould be key for better sleep. Eating fiber was associated with more restorative slow-wave sleep—the more you eat, the better you sleep—pera study published in theJournal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Fiber prevents blood sugar surges that may lower melatonin. Get a fiber boost from beans, artichokes, bran cereal and quinoa.
Read More:10 Foods with More Fiber Than an Apple
4. Fish
Recipe to Try:Roasted Salmon Caprese
5. Tart Cherry Juice
Andrea Mathis
Get the Recipe:Tart Cherry Nice Cream
In a small study,melatonin-rich tart cherry juicewas shown to aid sleep. When adults with chronic insomnia drank a cup of tart cherry juice twice a day they experienced some relief in the severity of their insomnia.
6. Yogurt
Recipe to Try:Ricotta & Yogurt Parfait
Dairy products like yogurt and milk boast healthy doses of calcium—and there’s research that suggests being calcium-deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.
7. Whole Grains
Recipe to Try:Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Warm Barley Salad
Bulgur, barley and other whole grains are rick inmagnesium—and consuming too little magnesium may make it harder to stay asleep, reported theJournal of Orthomolecular Medicine.
8. Kale
Recipe to Try:Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter
Dairy products are well-known calcium-rich foods. Butgreen leafy vegetables, such as kale and collards, also boast healthy doses of calcium. And research suggests that being calcium deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.
9. Bananas
Recipe to Try:Almond Butter & Banana Protein Smoothie
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
