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Lots of people take melatonin supplements to help them sleep, but some of the foods in your kitchen right now may have all the melatonin you need. According to the Mayo Clinic, melatonin is a hormone your body makes that helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle and can be beneficial for stabilizing your sleep pattern.
But in addition to the melatonin that’s already produced in the brain, you can get it in supplements or get natural doses of it in what you eat. If you want better sleep and don’t want to take yet another supplement, try these foods that are naturally high in melatonin.
- Nuts - Walnuts were found to have high amounts of melatonin, according to a 2022 study, and it’s also in other nuts including almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and pistachios. Just go for the raw kind because the roasting process has been shown to negatively impact melatonin content.
- Fish - Fatty fish like salmon and tuna are rich in melatonin as well as vitamin B6, omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium and vitamin D - all of which promote healthy sleep. One study found that participants who ate salmon three times a week slept better and showed improved daytime functioning than those who didn’t.
- Eggs - They’re one of the best sources of melatonin among animal products, plus eggs are loaded with iron and protein, as well as other essential nutrients.
- Tart cherries - Tart cherry juice is a well-known sleep aid thanks to all the melatonin in the fruit. You can also just eat the tart cherries to get your melatonin without all the added sugar in the juice.
- Milk - It turns out that the old school sleep remedy really works, thanks to the melatonin. Milk is one of the best dietary sources of it and it also contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases concentrations of melatonin and helps you drift off to sleep easier.
Source: CNBC