If you struggle to get to sleep at night, then fear not, because help is at hand.

Photo by Sarah Diniz Outeiro on Unsplash

Alongside the age-old advice of avoiding your phone, taking a bath, reading a book or spraying lavender on your pillow, comes new rules on what you should eat before bedtime.

Sleep expert Sammy Margo, author of The Good Sleep Guide, told the Mail Online that certain foods hold the power to help us sleep better, while eating the wrong ones can actually be detrimental to our sleep cycle.

Margo has identified five foods that we should be eating before bed to get the best night’s sleep…

5 things you should eat before bed

1. Bananas– for their high levels of magnesium (which helps relax muscles), serotonin and melatonin.
2. Almonds – for their high levels of magnesium and tryptophan.
3. Honey– for stimulating the release of melatonin and shutting off orexin, the chemical that keeps us alert.
4. Oats– rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which all promote melatonin.
5. Turkey – we’ve all experienced a turkey coma or two and that’s because of its high levels of tryptophan.

So far, so good, but what should be avoiding before bedtime? “While particular foods and drinks may feel warming, those that are spicy, caffeinated, or high in fat and protein can play havoc with our sleep,” Margo said.

5 things you shouldn’t eat before bed

1. Alcohol– bad news, even one glass can stop you falling into a deep sleep, meaning you’ll wake up repeatedly.
2. Cheese– there’s a reason why people say it gives you odd dreams, and that would be down to its high levels of amino acid and tyramine, which makes the brain more alert.
3. Spicy food– high levels of capsaicin make it hard for your body to regulate temperature.
4. Fatty food– these are hard to digest and more likely to cause heartburn, making you uncomfortable.
5. Coffee– this one is pretty obvious, but caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours, so it’s best to stop drinking after lunchtime.

From: Harper’s BAZAAR UK