These foods (ranked from highest to lowest) will lull you into a drool-filled slumber.
Or have you ever tossed and turned all night with a belly full of a heavy meal?
Weve all been there.
CAITLIN BENSEL/ROBBY LOZANO
This is where melatonin comes in.
Melatonin is available as a supplement but is also found naturally in food.
Melatonin supplements come in a wide range of doses, typically from 1 milligram to 10 mg.
However, it’s important to note that there is no official recommended dose or universally accepted upper limit.
Plus, since your body produces melatonin, you probably dont need high doses of it.
Pistachios
Melatonin concentration:233,000 ng/g
Crack open some pistachios for a bedtime snack.
Pistachios contain the highest amount of melatonin compared to other nuts and offer up a plant-based source of protein.
Pistachios also provide magnesium and vitamin B6, both of which are linked tobetter sleep quality.
Or looking for a sweet and nutritious treat?
Whip up thisTart Cherry Nice Cream.
Eggs
Melatonin concentration:1.54 ng/g
Whether you love them scrambled, over easy or hard-boiled, eggs offer snooze-promoting benefits.
For healthy on-the-go meal options, use eggs in ourClassic Cobb Mason Jar SaladorSpinach & Feta Scrambled Egg Pitas.
Pineapple
Melatonin concentration:0.28 ng/g
This juicy tropical fruit isnt just deliciously sweetit’s also a natural source of melatonin.
Slurp down our refreshingly nutritiousCherry-Pineapple SmoothieorPineapple Nice Cream.
Enjoying salmon for dinner could help you sleep better, says Tamburello.
Milk
Melatonin concentration:0.12 pg/mL
Ever wonder why warm milk became a bedtime tradition?
Theres actually some science behind it!
Beyond melatonin, milk offers another potential sleep benefit.
Walnuts
Melatonin concentration:0.04 ng/g
Have you ever noticed that walnuts are shaped like little brains?
They actually offer brain-supporting and sleep benefits!
Studies show they may help support cognitive function and memory, and they also contain melatonin.
Timing matters; Tamburello recommends eating these foods two to three hours before bed.
Avoid sleep disruptors like alcohol andcaffeineclose to bedtime as well.
As Barkyoumb points out, alcohol can actually decrease melatonin levels.
So, stick to the recommended amount of both alcohol and caffeine per day.
These foods offer sleep-promoting benefits while also providing essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.
Sangsopha J, Johns NP, Johns J, MoongngarmA.
Dietary sources of melatonin and benefits from production of high melatonin pasteurized milk.J Food Sci Technol.
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FoodData Central.Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw.
FoodData Central.Egg, whole cooked, hard-boiled.
Abboud M.Vitamin D Supplementation and Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies.Nutr.
2022;14(19):4136.doi:10.3390/nu14194136
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
FoodData Central.Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat.
2023;14(2):283-294. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.01.004
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2023; 91(1):381. doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091381
