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© Pamela Hanson

WELLNESS

12 Foods And Supplements To Add To Your

Diet If You Struggle To Sleep
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Sleep is a rare commodity nowadays, with two thirds of us admitting to suffering

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from disrupted slumber every night. If you’re a part of this rather hefty section of
society, you’ve probably tried it all: sleep sprays, meditation, pre-bed rituals, the
works. But have you ever considered that the secret to a better night’s sleep could lie
in your diet?

“There is a neurotransmitter – a chemical messenger – in our bodies called

tryptophan, which modulates sleep,” says nutrition consultant Sana Khan. “Certain
foods contain it naturally, and a few mouthfuls of one of them an hour or so before
you go to bed can really help both with falling asleep and the quality of your sleep
thereafter.” Anxiety is often a huge problem for insomniacs and whether it’s cause
or effect, incorporating more magnesium into your diet can help relax the muscles,
and by extension, your mind. “It’s a key mineral that, increasingly, I find clients are
deficient in when I do tests,” says Khan. “Lots of people just aren’t getting enough of
it in their diets.”

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READ MORE
Can’t Sleep? Beat The Heat With These Easy Tricks
BY H A N N A H C O AT ES

What to eat for better sleep

Almonds and walnuts
Not only do nuts like almonds and walnuts contain high levels of magnesium,
they’re a brilliant source of the sleep hormone melatonin, too.

Turkey
“A few mouthfuls of a slice of turkey breast an hour or so before sleep can really
help,” says Khan. It’s all thanks to its high level of tryptophan and protein, both of
which help to encourage a sleepy state of mind.

Kiwi
Research has shown that eating kiwi fruit regularly helps to improve both the
amount and quality of sleep we enjoy, thanks to its high levels of antioxidants.

Cottage cheese
High in tryptophan, cottage cheese is a good food to incorporate into your diet if
you struggle with disrupted sleep. Try combining it with another sleep-friendly
food, like melatonin-rich raspberries, for a supercharged effect.

Dates
A brilliant source of melatonin, eating a couple of dates can help to lull the body
into sleep while also keeping blood sugar balanced as you snooze.
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Bananas
Packed full of magnesium, potassium and tryptophan, a banana is your ticket to a
relaxed mind and peaceful sleep – swap sugary evening desserts for this calming
powerhouse.

Chamomile tea
Swap your normal caffeine for chamomile – it helps calm the mind, decreasing
anxiety and stress, while inducing the nice kind of drowsiness, thanks to an
antioxidant called apigenin.

Fatty fish
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High in vitamin B6, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines or trout encourages
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the body to produce melatonin, helping you to get sleepier, quicker.

Milk
A hot cup of milk has long been used to comfort and relax young children at the end
of a day, and for good reason. Not only is it filled with tryptophan, calcium is also
known to help us drift off.

Supplements to take for better sleep

Anatomē Reset, Relax + Sleep

With tryptophan and L-theanine to boost melatonin and serotonin, as well as

magnesium to decrease tension, one of these capsules half an hour before bed will
help to induce a soothing slumber.

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£28; available at John Lewis.

Biocol Labs Something For Dreaming Spray 

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This nifty supplement spray contains a blend of melatonin, passion flower and
lemongrass that helps to induce sleep faster while helpfully taking stress levels
down a peg.

€22.90 (£21); available at Biocol Labs.

Wild Nutrition Food-Grown Ashwagandha Plus

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Khan recommends incorporating adaptogens like ashwagandha into your diet to

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take down levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which many of us produce in
spades. Take two of these capsules each day to promote a calmer, happier mind and
improve sleep.

£20.50; available at Wild Nutrition. 

The foods to avoid for better sleep

“Alcohol, caffeine and sugar are right on the top of my list of things to avoid,” says
Khan. “Alcohol and coffee are both stimulants and major diuretics, making them
seriously dehydrating – they literally leach water from your body. And while alcohol
causes sleep problems by affecting the neurotransmitters in the brain, caffeine
keeps you awake. I advise not having either past 6pm.” She also recommends
avoiding anything sugary, and not just sugary desserts, but also processed carbs like
white bread and pasta. As tough as it sounds, snacking on buttered white toast
before bedtime needs to become a thing of the past if you’re struggling to sleep.

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Sweet dreams.

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Inside Bebe Rexha’s Home For a Perfect Night In | British Vogue

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