Warm Milk
It's not just an old wives' tale. Warm milk really does help you go to sleep. Like turkey, milk contains the amino acid tryptophan. By warming the milk, it's believed that the heat helps raise the body's temperature thereby increasing circulation and encouraging relaxation. Plus, milk also contains vitamin B6, a nutrient required to make melatonin.
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Cherries
These tasty treats offer melatonin. While sweet cherries are great, you should favor the tart kind since they boast anti-inflammatory properties that combat sleep-disturbing inflammation.
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Bananas
Bananas have our favorite serotonin-making nutrient, tryptophan. They also contain 25 percent of the recommended daily vitamin B6 intake for adults.
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Almonds
Almonds supply 20 percent of the daily recommended intake of magnesium for adults. A lack of magnesium can lead to inflammation that disrupts sleep. Other sources include pumpkin seeds, cashews and peanuts.
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Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are triple threats since they offer tryptophan, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. Tryptophan and magnesium encourage the production of serotonin (and therefore melatonin) and the reduction of inflammation respectively, while omega-3 fatty acids play a hand in both of those things. Other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, chia seeds, tuna and salmon.
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