Studies have indicated that several foods could help you have a better night's sleep. In light of recent research, experts have spoken to Newsweek about exactly what compounds are understood to have sleep benefits, and which foods they can be found in. A recent review pointed to pistachios as having potential sleep benefits because they are rich in multiple sleep-boosting compounds.
Other studies have explored which compounds could improve sleep quality, like melatonin and tryptophan, while some have even discussed whether the clichéd glass of warm milk before bed actually works - results appear to be mixed. Having trouble sleeping is a common problem. Around three in 10 Americans report getting fewer than seven hours of sleep a night, while about one in six have trouble falling asleep and about one in five have trouble staying asleep, according to data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The recent review, published in Cambridge University Press online in September, made the conclusion that pistachios could be a "promising whole food intervention for improving sleep due to their favorable nutrient profile." Pistachios are rich in vitamin B6, magnesium, fiber, phenolic compounds, and phytomelatonin. These compounds "are either involved in the synthesis of melatonin in humans or have been shown in research to enhance melatonin and/or improve sleep in human studies," study author Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University, told Newsweek. It is not clear how many pistachios someone would need to eat to feel an effect and St-Onge also said she didn't think foods high in these compounds "necessarily need to be eaten before bed or at a specific time of day." Although, "this is a narrative review of the theoretical basis for why pistachios should be studied as a food that could support better sleep," St-Onge said, and so human trials are needed to determine whether this hypothesis would actually play out.
"No one has yet tested whether eating pistachios improves sleep in rigorous controlled trials, and this review makes the case for why that’s worth studying," Freda Patterson, the director of the Sleep and Circadian Health Research Program at the University of Delaware, told Newsweek. The review was also partly funded by the American Pistachio Growers, a non-profit trade association representing more than 800 growers, processors, and industry partners across California, Arizona, and New Mexico, though Patterson said that "doesn’t invalidate the science, but it underscores the need for independent trials." Melatonin is the hormone that "signals to our body that it’s nighttime," Patterson said, adding that melatonin is also found in tart cherries, tomatoes, and walnuts. "Some studies have found benefits from drinking about eight ounces of tart cherry juice twice a day, although the results have been mixed," Michael Grandner, the director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, told Newsweek.
Meanwhile, phytomelatonin "is the plant version of melatonin," Emily Hohman, a nutrition scientist at Pennsylvania State University, told Newsweek. Kiwis are also high in serotonin, a precursor to melatonin. "Two kiwis about an hour before bed have shown some benefits in small studies," Grandner said.
Tryptophan and vitamin B6 are what the body needs to "make its own melatonin," Patterson said. Food containing tryptophan include turkey, beef, chicken, as well as fish and seafood and some dairy products too, like eggs, whole milk and certain cheeses, while Vitamin B6 is in bananas, chickpeas, potatoes, salmon, poultry and many other foods. That's not to say though that any of these foods will induce a better sleep, as studies would still need to prove any such link.
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