By Rachel Davies, Nutritional Therapist 

If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep then you’ll want to know all the ways that you can support your body to get a better slumber. Believe it or not, what you eat can have a profound impact on your body’s sleep chemistry. 

The reason for this is because your diet affects your body’s ability to produce hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate sleep, such as melatonin and serotonin. These are influenced by the nutrients you consume, meal timing, and even your gut health. Poor food choices or irregular eating habits can disrupt these processes, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.

So by focusing on the right nutrients, timing your meals strategically, and adopting sleep-supportive eating habits, you improve your chances of more restful nights and refreshed mornings. Let’s explore how and what to eat to optimise your sleep:

Foods to Include

• Tryptophan-rich foods Tryptophan is an amino acid that is converted in the body into serotonin and melatonin - our sleep hormone. Tryptophan-rich foods include turkey, chicken, eggs, nuts and seeds, quality dairy products and quality soy products such as tofu and tempeh.
• Magnesium-rich foods. Magnesium is known as ‘nature's tranquiliser’, it is an especially calming mineral that supports relaxation. Magnesium rich foods include dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, avocados, bananas and dark chocolate. 
• Calcium-rich foods. Calcium supports the conversion of tryptophan to melatonin. Calcium rich foods include quality dairy, dark leafy greens, tahini, oily fish and nuts such as almonds and Brazil nuts. 
• Complex carbohydrates. These help tryptophan cross the blood brain barrier so that it can be converted into serotonin and melatonin. Complex carbohydrates include oats, brown rice, beans, lentils and sweet potatoes. 
• Antioxidant rich foods. Research suggests that a diet high in antioxidants is associated with better quality sleep. Antioxidants help to reduce oxidative stress which has been shown to disrupt sleep. Antioxidant rich foods include berries, dark leafy greens, decaffeinated green tea and legumes such as black beans and kidney beans. 
• Foods naturally rich in melatonin such as tart cherry, nuts and seeds including walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and pistachio. 

Foods and Drinks to Reduce/Avoid

• Excess caffeine. Caffeine has a half life of 5-6 hours meaning it stays in your system long after you drink it. So caffeine consumed late in the afternoon will likely impact the quality of your sleep. Equally excess amounts of caffeine will put excess strain on your nervous system and leave you wired. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some sodas. Keep these in check. 
• Alcohol. Alcohol fragments our sleep cycles, significantly reducing the quality of sleep. Even though it has a sedative effect so we think it helps us sleep, research shows that it reduces REM sleep and deep sleep meaning we don’t wake up refreshed. 
• Heavy, Spicy, or Fatty Meals in the evening. These can initiate indigestion and acid reflux making it harder to go to sleep. 
• High sugar foods in the evening. These will cause a blood sugar spike and then crash which will likely disrupt sleep during the night. 

It is not just specific foods and drinks but also our dietary structure and behaviour that can impact sleep. Here are some important habits to consider: 

• How you eat throughout the day, not just at your evening meal, will impact the quality of your sleep. So ensuring that you prioritise a balanced, wholefood diet is key. Focus on three balanced meals with adequate quality protein, plenty of colourful plant foods for fibre, complex carbohydrates and some healthy fats. 
• Try to eat your evening meal at least 2-3 hours away from bedtime to allow time for proper digestion. Research shows that eating within 3 hours of bed is a potential risk factor for nighttime waking and poor sleep quality.
• Eat at approximately the same times each day. The body likes routine and rhythm as this helps to regulate its internal clock which supports your sleep-wake cycle. 
• Hydration is a key component of a healthy lifestyle but drinking a lot just before bedtime is likely to leave you waking in the night to use the toilet. Try to space out your hydration throughout the day so it doesn’t impact your sleep. 

Finally, recent research has shown how better gut health correlates with better sleep outcomes. Specifically, a greater diversity of gut microbes as well as more of the beneficial strains of bacteria are associated with better quality sleep. The exact mechanisms at play here are not yet fully understood but it may be due to how the gut microbiome impacts the production of serotonin which is later converted into melatonin. To support better gut health, here are 3 top tips: 

1. Eat the Rainbow - include a wide variety of colourful plant foods in your diet
2. Incorporate probiotic foods into your diet such as live yoghurt, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut and pickled vegetables. Probiotic foods contain live bacteria to support the health of the gut microbiome.
3. Include prebiotic foods such as garlic, onions, asparagus and bananas to feed the beneficial gut microbes. 

By incorporating nutrient-dense, sleep-supportive foods into your diet and being mindful of meal timing, you can create an environment that promotes deep, restorative sleep. Start by adding one or two sleep-friendly foods to your meals this week, and notice the difference it makes in how you feel when you wake up. Remember, small, consistent changes are the key to long-term success.

www.racheldaviesnutrition.com

This blog is written by Nutritional Therapist Rachel Davies. Rachel is registered with the BANT (British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) and the CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council). She continually attends CPD training to further her expertise and keep abreast of the fast moving field of nutritional science.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.