8 foods to eat before bed for a better night's sleep

Ellie Hutchings Published June 17, 2025 11:48am Link is copied Comments A good night's sleep can help you wake up feeling fresh and rejuvenated, which is why we all want to do everything we can to improve our sleep health. If you often find yourself tossing and turning at night, struggling to drift off, then it might be time to consider how your diet is impacting your sleep. And if you're after a quick fix, there are a few common foods that have been scientifically proven to improve sleep (Picture: Getty Images) Tart cherries, or tart cherry juice, can help you drift off at night because of their high concentration of melatonin – a hormone that aids sleep. A study in the European Journal of Nutrition found that drinking tart cherry juice resulted in significantly improved total sleep time and sleep efficiency in participants, and tart cherry juice has also been studied for its role in relieving insomnia (Picture: Getty Images) Malted milk, such as Horlick's, has long been used as a comforting evening drink. This is because malt barley is a complex carbohydrate, and also contains vitamin B and D, which are thought to aid sleep. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that participants who drank Horlick's before bed slept for longer and experienced lest restlessness in the night (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Another fruit that might help you get a good night's sleep is kiwi. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and more than one scientific study has suggested they aid sleep. One of these found that eating two kiwifruits one hour before bed improved both sleep onset and duration. It's thought that this is because kiwis are high in serotonin, a hormone which has been shown to improve sleep (Picture: Getty Images) Fatty fish has numerous health benefits – including boosting brain and heart health – due to the fact it contains omega-3. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that participants who ate salmon three times per week experienced more positive changes in sleep than a control group. Other fatty fishes include tuna, trout and mackerel (Picture: Getty Images) Almonds and walnuts in particular are considered to be good foods for sleep, again because of their omega-3 content and the fact they contain magnesium, which is widely regarded to promote relaxation. A study carried out on mice previously found that walnuts can increase sleep duration (Picture: Getty Images) Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases the production of melatonin and can make you feel drowsy. Several studies have highlighted the link between tryptophans and improved sleep quality – which may explain why you always feel so tired after Christmas dinner! (Picture: Getty Images) As we already know, there is evidence that carbohydrates can improve sleep. A study of adults in Japan found that those who regularly ate rice reported better sleep than those who ate more bread or noodles, while there is also evidence to suggest that that eating foods with a high glycemic index (which relates to how high it raises blood sugar levels), such as white rice, at least one hour before bed may help improve sleep quality (Picture: Getty Images) While caffeinated tea won't help you drift off, herbal tea is enjoyed by many in the evening. Chamomile tea in particular is beneficial for sleep, as research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found it to have a natural sedative effect. A separate 2017 study found that participants who started drinking chamomile tea reported fewer sleep difficulty-related symptoms within two weeks (Picture: Getty Images/Tetra images RF) This article was originally published in May 2024
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