Insomnia these days is a common syndrome for anyone in modern society. Many stimulants, such as digital devices, annoying news, and noise, prevent us from getting deep sleep. So, the market of medications that help sleep is growing every year. However, certain foods can still promote better sleep due to their nutritional content and potential to support relaxation. Here are some foods that are generally considered good for sleep:

Magensium
The first nutrient we should look for is magnesium. It is the second most abundant mineral in our body and plays a role in many enzymes. Magnesium is a well-known nerve-relaxing mineral. It binds to GABA receptors and activates them to calm down the nervous system. Also, magnesium may relax muscles via NMDA receptors, suppressing calcium concentration in the muscle cell. Relaxing nerves and muscles can both help goodnight sleep very much. Moreover, studies have shown magnesium can decrease serum cortisol, a stress hormone. Then, it helps to suppress the excited central nerve and works for better sleep.
Magnesium supplementation is often purported to improve sleep. In 3 countries, oral magnesium intake to 151 older adults resulted in that post-intervention sleep onset latency time was 17min less after magnesium supplementation than placebo (1). And total sleep time improved by 16 min.
Where can we find magnesium for good sleep? Leafy greens are full of magnesium because magnesium forms a chelate in chlorophyll in dark green leaves. For example, a cup of fresh spinach has over 150 mg of magnesium. And, of course, a leafy greens diet is good for cardiovascular health and reducing blood sugar. Beans like chickpeas and lentils are magnesium-rich sources and provide good proteins. Pumpkin seeds and chia seeds are high magnesium content foods. 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds has more than 150 mg of it. Other seeds, such as sunflower seeds and almonds, also have tons of magnesium, too. Potatoes, which I love, are rich in magnesium. 1 medium-sized potato guarantees you about 50 mg of it and enough calcium too. And whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, oats, and wheat are good magnesium sources. Such foods that are not refined have very high magnesium content. Nuts with the highest amount of magnesium include almonds, cashews, and peanuts. Some oily fish with great muscle tissues, like salmon, also contain magnesium.

1) Jasmine Mah & Tyler Pitre. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies volume 21, Article number: 125 (2021).

Tryptophan
An amino acid, tryptophan, is generally considered good for sleep. Tryptophan helps to produce serotonin and melatonin, two key hormones that regulate sleep-wake cycles and duration of sleep. Serotonin is perhaps the most important neurotransmitter regulating mood in sleep. It promotes relaxation and a calming body. Serotonin converts into melatonin in certain mechanisms, and melatonin is a sleep hormone that is absolutely crucial in the sleep cycle. As a sleep hormone, it modulates circadian rhythm, enhancing the biological clock, signaling to the brain to initiate sleep, maintain nighttime sleep, and adjust body time schedules.
Tryptophan also has a calming effect on the brain through GABA neurotransmitters. As a result, the body reduces anxiety, stress, and mental stress, which interfere with sleep and cause sleep troubles.
Through a meta-analysis, tryptophan actually works for quality and duration of sleep. Results from a study show over 1g of tryptophan supplementation can shorten wake after sleep onset and help sleep quality (2).
Sliced turkey 30 minutes before bed can help you sleep well. Like turkey, tryptophan-rich protein diets are helpful. Poultry such as turkey and chicken are full of tryptophan. Enjoy Thanksgiving turkey for a good night’s sleep. Besides poultry, lean meats, beef, and pork can provide it, too. Oily and greasy fish like salmon, cod, and tuna are good tryptophan sources. Nuts are rich in tryptophan, especially almons and peanuts. Protein-rich beans like soybean and tofu contain high quantities of it. Dairy products have many, and also these contain high levels of calcium, a mineral that regulates sleep cycles, like tryptophan. Eating tryptophan-rich foods for nighttime snacks is recommended, but watch out for sugar spikes. Fruits like bananas contains both tryptophan and magnesium, absoluately helpful getting into sleep. Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps maintain proper muscle and nerve function. High potassium and magnesium in bananas may help prevent such issues like muscle cramps or restless legs which can disrupt sleep.

2) Clarinda N Sutanto, Wen Wei Loh, Jung Eun Kim. The impact of tryptophan supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Nutrition Reviews, Volume 80, Issue 2, February 2022, Pages 306–316.

Melatonin
Primarily spoken, melatonin helps people get into deep sleep through many mechanisms. The brain’s pineal gland produces melatonin naturally, but sometimes, it is not enough to meet the body’s needs. Not like other sleep-beneficial nutrients, melatonin is not obtained from the diet. Instead, trace elements that can build up melatonin should be taken. Fruits like tart cherries and grapes have tons of natural sources of melatonin. Try tart cherry before going to bed. Tart cherry juice is traditionally used for sleep aids, and nowadays, researchers have found it actually increases melatonin levels in the body. But consuming tart cherries at night time causes high blood sugar, so just eat cherries rather than juices. Grapes contain some melatonin but mainly in their pills. Tomatoes are melatonin-rich foods in pills like grapes do. Nuts like almonds and pistachios are rich sources of it. Some of these nuts have lots of vitamin B6, helping tryptophan to convert into melatonin.

However, it’s important to note that individual responses can vary. The effectiveness of sleep-friendly foods in promoting sleep may also depend on other factors such as overall diet, lifestyle, and sleep habits.
For some individuals with sleep disturbances or insomnia, tryptophan supplements or foods rich in tryptophan may be considered as part of a broader approach to improving sleep.