10 foods to help you sleep better

Slow release carbs

These produce slow-releasing energy and are quite good to take before sleep. Examples are porridge or oat cakes.

Turkey

Turkey contains tryptophan, which converts to serotonin and melatonin, great for sleep! Turkey also contains zinc, further aiding sleep patterns and vitamin B6 for relaxing you.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds contain magnesium which is a muscle relaxant. Eating pumpkin seeds before sleep helps your muscles relax and makes you feel more chilled. Even better, pumpkin seeds stimulate the pineal gland in your brain to produce more melatonin which helps regulate your sleep cycle.

Cherries

Cherries also contain melatonin, so they directly regulate your sleep cycle.

Melatonin

Of course you can also take some melatonin tablets if you want to have better sleep - though they are banned in the UK!

Zinc

Zinc is great for helping you sleep as it converts tryptophan to melatonin and serotonin, both of which aid the sleep cycle. You can get zinc from nuts and oysters.

Valerian

You can get Valerian as a herbal tea. Valerian is fantastic for putting you straight to sleep. It is considered by some to be more like a drug but lucky for you, it is widely available in most health shops.

Chamomile

Chamomile is another fantastic relaxant and sleep aid. You can get it as a tea in most supermarkets and health food shops. Remember to let it brew for 5 minutes or more for best results.

Coconut water

Coconut water is full of electrolytes and minerals, great for hydrating the body and balancing nutrients, relaxing and fixing imbalances.

Protein