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10 Best Foods That Help You Sleep Better

Sleep. We all crave a good night’s rest but we may be lost as to where we should start looking for the most accurate and accessible information for us to follow. Ocushield Blue Light Screen Protectors are here to help with their Top 10 foods that help you sleep better.

Look no further though as we will help to break down the nutritional side of sleep and advised on the foods that help you sleep better. We all know a better night’s sleep is not only essential for our health but also our emotional wellbeing. Here are the top ten best foods we’ve carefully researched to help you have a blissful night's rest.

1. Walnuts and Almonds


Foods high in tryptophan (a sleep-enhancing amino acid) help to produce serotonin and thus help with relaxation and a better nights sleep. Walnuts are high in tryptophan so they are a perfect go to snack, preferably after dinner to ease into your sleep more easily or even sprinkled on top of your next salad.

Almonds are also a great choice here since they are high in magnesium which is also known as the relaxation mineral. Pop a few in your bag, on your desk at work or even your car for a healthier snacking alternative. These nuts are best eaten raw and unsalted to truly gain the benefits and help with better sleep overall.

2. Avocados


For a truly long-lasting way to a better night’s sleep, we strongly recommend you to get some healthy fats in your system. This will help you fall asleep soon after your head hits that pillow. Avocados are one of the top superfoods to add to your diet, not just for glowing skin and bright, healthy eyes. Just like almonds, avocados are high in magnesium but also high in potassium. Potassium is so important as this crucial mineral helps to relax the body and help you fall asleep at night. They’re a great lunchbox filler and perfect as a side to your dinner simply smashed up with apple cider vinegar and pink Himalayan salt…magnesium central folks!

Open Avocado with hard boiled eggs on top - one of the foods that can help you sleep better

3. Kale


This emerald green cruciferous vegetable has gained a lot of attention in the past few years, and rightly so. Kale is packed full of protein and also calcium. Not only does calcium help to promote strong bones, it also helps the brain to convert tryptophan to melatonin, this is essential for a good night’s rest. Kale is best consumed in a cold-pressed drink but we also loved it crisped up in the oven and also added to pasta sauces for an extra hit of calcium and protein.

4. Grapefruit


This gorgeous zingy fruit is packed full of sleep-friendly vitamins and lycopene. Lycopene is a pigment which has been linked to healthier sleeping patterns so get juicing guys! We love to enjoy pieces of sliced grapefruit folded through a warming kale salad but also in a cold-pressed juice too. So refreshing! If you find the taste too sour, drizzle over some raw honey – another food listed here to help you sleep better.

5. Rice


Rice is a wonderful grain to help you sleep at night. Funnily enough, different types of rice can actually help you fall asleep faster. White rice has a higher glycemic index than jasmine rice for example, so enjoying some white rice in your weekday meal will significantly slash the time it takes for you to fall asleep and have deeper one overall.

6. Honey


Who doesn’t love a bit of honey on their toast or in their tea? The natural sugar found in honey helps to raise insulin allowing tryptophan to enter the brain more easily. Best way to enjoy honey before bed? Simply have a spoonful or mixed in with chamomile tea. We recommend raw organic honey if possible for better quality and purer honey.

Jar of Honey on a chopping board

7. Cherry Juice


Cherries, particular tart cherries can help you fall asleep faster and feel more relaxed. Tart cherries are a natural source of tryptophan and melatonin which both help to regulate sleep patterns. Whilst this red ruby juice may spike blood sugar levels ever so slightly, this prompts the body to increase the production of insulin which encourages the body towards a more sleepy state. You can find concentrated cherry juice in most health shops now if your cherries are not in season.

8. Chamomile Tea


The most popular herbal tea around, chamomile tea, is truly a relaxant and stress buster drink. This herbal tea helps increase glycine, a chemical that relaxes nerves and muscles acting as a mild sedative. We recommend a cup or two in your evenings to truly help you unwind and sleep better.

A cup of Chamomile Tea

9. Chickpeas


This may be one of the more surprising sleep aids but chickpeas are a very good source of tryptophan and a healthy dose of vitamin B6. So tuck into your hummus knowing it will help you sleep better! If you don’t have time to whip up this dip, why not try adding it to your next curry or casserole dish? A great source of protein too!

10. Sweet Potatoes


Aside from being a true superfood, these orange-fleshed beauties can also help to combat sleep deprivation and help you sleep better overall. Just like bananas, they are a great source of potassium which encourages the muscles to relax. They are a clean and complex carbohydrate which further helps with better sleep, happy days! For an easy way to incorporate sweet potatoes into your diet why not swap them in place of regular potatoes. Think jacket potatoes, potato gratin, sweet potato fries, sweet potato mash…truly delicious.

Summary of foods that help you sleep better


We hope these ten tips have helped you shine some light on foods that help you sleep better. It’s all about making fuss-free changes to your diet and adding in food which you probably already have in your kitchen. Feel free to comment and message us on our social media channels with your thoughts, we would love to hear from you! Want to learn more about how to sleep better , read the linked post and also the rest of our blog for more handy hints

Sleep better with Ocushield a woman is lying in bed sleeping


How we reviewed this article:

Ocushield has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version
October 21, 2020

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