Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by
It’s well known that eating like an Italian can make you sleep like an Italian, but I’m confident that Americans everywhere are wondering what exactly is in food that makes them so sleepy. Even though your mom always told you to eat a good dinner before bed, you’re thinking it has more to do with the food groups (thinking carbs, dairy and meat) than it does the food to help relax you.
We all know that as we do what we do throughout the day, our bodies will naturally feel less alert. The brain and body need that rest to be able to function optimally the next day. We naturally get tired as the day progresses and this is perfectly normal. However, some foods can make us sleepy in addition to not being able to fall asleep naturally when it’s time for it. Here are those foods.
We’re surrounded by irresistible snack foods that are engineered to make us sleepy after we eat them. They offer a quick fix and a temporary sleep-inducing effect that’s pretty darn convenient, but is it a healthy option? Maybe not.
What’s In Food That Makes You Sleepy

- Poultry – Chicken or turkey has tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that you can only get from what you eat and drink. It helps your body make serotonin (a relaxing mood hormone) which then helps your body make melatonin (a hormone that controls sleep cycles).
- Fish – Vitamin B6 is abundant in fish, with salmon, tuna, and halibut having the most. B6 is what makes melatonin, which is normally triggered by being in the dark. By eating fish for dinner, you can give that melatonin a head start before turning out the lights.
- Yogurt – Calcium processes the hormones that help you sleep, tryptophan and melatonin. Calcium, of course, can be found in anything dairy related if you don’t like yogurt. Other things you can try are milk or cheese and crackers
- Kale – Like yogurt, this leafy green is also rich in calcium which is important in making those sleep hormones go to work.
- Bananas – They are high in potassium which helps to keep you asleep throughout the night. It also has tryptophan and magnesium which are natural sedatives.
- Whole Grains – These grains encourage insulin production that result in tryptophan activity in the brain. They also have magnesium which is said to help you stay asleep. When magnesium levels are too low, you are more likely to wake up during the night.
- Honey – Glucose in honey lowers levels of orexin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that makes you more alert. Honey will put that alertness in reverse.
- Nuts – This includes walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. These all boost serotonin levels by having magnesium and tryptophan.
- Eggs – Eggs are popular in the morning, but they also can make you sleepy due to having tryptophan. Try having some breakfast for supper and see what happens.
- White Rice – White rice has a high glycemic index. This simply means that it will give you a natural increase in blood sugar and insulin levels, which in turn, helps tryptophan go to work in your brain faster.
While these top 10 sleep-inducing foods have the nutrients to help you sleep, they definitely aren’t the only ones you can try. A general guideline to follow is picking items that have a mix of calcium, potassium, magnesium, tryptophan, and B6. Try these sleep-inducing foods in the evening and you may be surprised by how fast you fall and stay asleep.