Fruit is delicious and healthy, but did you know that some fruits can improve your sleep quality? Especially when you have trouble falling asleep or suffer from insomnia, these fruits can be a good and healthy aid. From cherries to kiwi, these five fruits can help you sleep better.
Sour cherries
Sour cherries are recommended as an aid to better sleep. This is because they contain potassium and the hormone melatonin, and this help relax your muscles and get you to sleep. You can eat them whole as fruit, in juice or concentrate. The easiest way is to drink cherry juice because you would have to eat about 25 cherries and that can be inconvenient.
Pineapple
Another fruit that can help your sleep is pineapple. A pineapple contains even more melatonin, and research also shows that eating the fruit can significantly increase the levels of this sleep hormone in your body. In addition, pineapple also helps with digestion, which can prevent tummy aches at night.
Bananas
If they are not too ripe, bananas are also a good bedtime snack. This is because they contain a lot of potassium, which helps relax your muscles. In addition, they contain serotonin, a precursor to melatonin, which helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. Furthermore, bananas contain the amino acid tryptophan, which increases serotonin production and thus melatonin. So plenty of reasons to buy some extra bunches!
Oranges
Eating oranges can also help increase melatonin in your body. In addition, they contain B vitamins that help manage stress better and aid in the synthesis of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, all of which help promote sleep.
Kiwi
Last but not least, kiwis are good for improving your sleep quality. In a small study, adult participants with sleeping problems ate two kiwis an hour before bed for four weeks every night. At the end of the study, their sleep time was found to increase and they needed less time to fall asleep. This is related to the serotonin levels of kiwis. More research is needed to confirm the benefits of kiwifruit on your sleep quality, but kiwifruit is worth trying.
30 minutes before bedtime
To get the most benefit from the fruit's effects, it is wise to eat one of the fruits in the evening. But it's important to note that you probably won't notice a difference right away. It works best when you eat the fruit regularly so that you maintain your nutrient levels. Eat the fruit at least thirty minutes before you go to sleep, avoid large meals two to three hours before bedtime, drink plenty of water, and limit alcohol intake. These factors all affect your sleep quality.