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Whether you struggle to fall asleep or wake up at all hours of the night, you're not alone if you find it difficult to get a good night's sleep. According to the CDC, a third of adults in the U.S. aren't getting the recommended minimum of seven hours of sleep nightly. Side effects of poor sleep include more than just low energy, although that by itself is enough to make us crave a good night's rest.
A June 2015 Consensus Statement published in the Sleep Research Society journal says that regularly getting less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep each night is associated with health effects like weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression. Your immune system, performance, and ability to concentrate also take a hit.
While there are plenty of tips to get a better night's rest that include things like putting your phone away and establishing a relaxing bedtime routine, you can also take advantage of the power of nutrition to support your sleep efforts. You may already know what drinks or foods will sabotage your sleep, like caffeine and fatty or spicy foods, but there are plenty of beverages and foods to support a good night's sleep that you'll want to keep a steady stock of.
We spoke with dietitians and read up on the latest studies to find the best nighttime beverages to support a restful slumber. Keep reading for the eight best drinks for better sleep!
"Montmorency tart cherries, the specific cherries found in tart cherry juice, contain melatonin, which helps regulate our natural sleep patterns," says Leah Reitmayer MS, RD, CSSD, LDN owner of Lettuce Eat Dessert.
A small study on adults with insomnia found that drinking one cup of cherry juice two times a day increased sleep time by 84 minutes compared to the test period with a placebo. While tart cherries contain melatonin, this study also found that drinking cherry juice increased the availability of tryptophan, an amino acid that works with melatonin to support sleep.
Continued below.
A June 2015 Consensus Statement published in the Sleep Research Society journal says that regularly getting less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep each night is associated with health effects like weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression. Your immune system, performance, and ability to concentrate also take a hit.
While there are plenty of tips to get a better night's rest that include things like putting your phone away and establishing a relaxing bedtime routine, you can also take advantage of the power of nutrition to support your sleep efforts. You may already know what drinks or foods will sabotage your sleep, like caffeine and fatty or spicy foods, but there are plenty of beverages and foods to support a good night's sleep that you'll want to keep a steady stock of.
We spoke with dietitians and read up on the latest studies to find the best nighttime beverages to support a restful slumber. Keep reading for the eight best drinks for better sleep!
Tart cherry juice
juice
"Montmorency tart cherries, the specific cherries found in tart cherry juice, contain melatonin, which helps regulate our natural sleep patterns," says Leah Reitmayer MS, RD, CSSD, LDN owner of Lettuce Eat Dessert.
A small study on adults with insomnia found that drinking one cup of cherry juice two times a day increased sleep time by 84 minutes compared to the test period with a placebo. While tart cherries contain melatonin, this study also found that drinking cherry juice increased the availability of tryptophan, an amino acid that works with melatonin to support sleep.
Chamomile tea
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