Getting your recommended seven hours of sleep doesn’t always come easy. Stress, alcohol, pain, and some medications can cause you to stare wide awake at your clock for several hours. While everyone might experience an occasional sleepless night, a 2019 article in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine said that about 30% of people experience chronic insomnia, and it’s more common in women and older adults. Insomnia can lead to a poor quality of life, an increased risk of accidents, and psychiatric disorders.
If you have insomnia, you might be prescribed sleep medication or therapy to help you sleep. You might also look to certain foods to help you sleep. “There are no specific foods or a specific diet that will help with insomnia, generally speaking,” says Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, a board-certified physician, certified sleep specialist, and founder of the Solution is Sleep LLC. “With that being said, there are certain foods that may help some people fall asleep more easily.”
According to a 2021 article in the Annual Review of Nutrition, tryptophan in foods like nuts, seeds, and legumes can be converted to melatonin to support your sleep cycle, especially if you consume these foods with carbohydrates. Some foods can promote sleep because they are high in melatonin, such as almonds and walnuts. The study suggested the nutrients in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean proteins in the Mediterranean diet work together to improve sleep quality.
Eating before bed if you have insomnia
While some foods might help people fall asleep, Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell said these might not work for people with insomnia. “Insomnia is a complex sleep disorder that often involves maladaptive cognitions and subsequent behaviors surrounding sleep.”
Having a late meal isn’t best for your sleep, especially if you have insomnia, Holliday-Bell said. “When it comes to healthy sleep practices in general, it’s best to keep your largest meal, i.e., dinner, at least 3 to 4 hours before bedtime, as eating a larger meal too close to bedtime can cause your digestive system to be too active at a time when your body should be winding down in order to prepare for sleep.”
If you’re hungry at bedtime, Holliday-Bell suggests a small snack such as Greek yogurt with berries and nuts because it’s rich in protein and complex carbohydrates. That way, you’ll appease your hunger and prevent a blood sugar drop, which can interrupt sleep. Just be sure to eat it about an hour before your head hits the pillow.
The best strategy for people with insomnia
Although eating melatonin-rich foods like kiwi, walnuts, and tart cherry juice while avoiding large meals too close to bedtime could support your sleep, Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell says diet alone can’t treat insomnia. “When it comes to insomnia, the best thing to do is work on the maladaptive thoughts and subsequent behaviors that have resulted as a consequence of sleep struggles,” she said. “Taking part in something like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is often the best strategy.” This type of therapy can take eight weeks to treat chronic insomnia.
If you’ve received treatment for insomnia, you’ll also want to establish a consistent sleep schedule to support good sleep. Regular exercise will also help you sleep, but alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine can keep you awake. A vegetarian diet also might stave off insomnia, according to a 2023 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Men who follow a vegetarian diet had a 53% lower risk of insomnia, and women who are vegetarians saw a 29% lower risk.