You can power-up your oatmeal by adding a splash of milk (a good source of tryptophan), sliced bananas (another sleepytime food), and a handful of pistachios or walnuts, both of which are very high in melatonin.
Eggs and fish are higher melatonin-containing food groups in animal foods, whereas in plant foods, nuts are with the highest content of melatonin. Some kinds of mushrooms, cereals and germinated legumes or seeds are also good dietary sources of melatonin.
Bananas contain melatonin, tryptophan, vitamin B6, and magnesium, which are all great for producing serotonin and helping you sleep. Bananas are another “good” carb that can not only help you sleep, but feel more alert during the day.
Do bananas help you sleep? Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium which help relax overstressed muscles and make them an ideal go-to snack before bed. They also contain all-important tryptophan to stimulate production of those key brain calming hormones.
It turns out; this beloved fruit is the perfect sleep aid. It provides several vitamins and minerals that can improve the quality of your sleep. Bananas reduce stress and anxiety, alleviate muscle cramps, and regulate your sleep-wake cycle with serotonin and melatonin.
An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but a banana at night can help you sleep tight. Next time you're up late, battling a pesky combination of hunger and restlessness, reach for a banana before bed as a healthy late-night snack.
Cherries are known for being one of the best foods for sleep as they naturally contain melatonin. Snacking on cherries or drinking cherry juice can help promote longer, deeper sleep.
Our stomach takes a long time to digest a banana. On top of that, our body's metabolism is at its lowest in the night. Therefore, one should ideally consume bananas in the morning or the evening and must avoid eating them at night.
Cherries (especially sour cherries like the Montmorency variety) are one of the only (and highest) natural food sources of melatonin. Studies have shown a boost in circulating melatonin after consumption of cherries, though sweet cherries have half the melatonin content as sour cherries.
They are also high in melatonin and may improve sleep. Among animal products, eggs are one of the best sources of melatonin. Eggs are also highly nutritious, offering protein and iron, among other essential nutrients. Warm milk is a traditional remedy for insomnia, so it's no surprise that it's high in melatonin.
Dim your lights at night
Bright lights at night can confuse and disrupt our internal body clock as melatonin increases with darkness and decreases with light. A simple yet effective way to increase melatonin production, to help you sleep, is to dim your lights at least one hour before bedtime.
Melatonin alternatives include magnesium, GABA, valerian root, and tart cherry. If you regularly struggle to fall or stay asleep, speak with your physician, who can determine if underlying issues are causing your sleep problems.
Although the sugars are natural, when paired with the moderately acidic nature of bananas will give a quick sugar boost, resulting in a crash around mid-morning. This will make you feel more tired and more hungry, and the banana will have done more harm than good.
Another reason why experts suggest that eating bananas on an empty stomach may be bad for health as eating foods with high magnesium content early in the morning or empty stomach may impact metabolism and create an imbalance in digestion and in some cases it may have an adverse effect on heart health.
According to Lauren Popeck, RD, a dietitian at Orlando Health, Greek yogurt is perfect for bedtime, because it contains the sleep-inducing chemical tryptophan. And because it's such a rich source of protein, Greek yogurt can also help you avoid that same glucose spike.
Numerous studies have revealed that kiwifruit contains many medicinally useful compounds, among which antioxidants and serotonin may be beneficial in the treatment of the sleep disorders.