8 Foods to Naturally Increase Melatonin for Better Sleep
If you suffer from occasional insomnia or if it’s a nightly battle for you, you’ve likely looked at all of the natural solutions currently out there. You may have even tried some melatonin supplements, and if you’re like many individuals, had some disappointing results. While research has shown the body’s naturally-produced melatonin helps regulate sleep, synthetic melatonin has proven less than impressive. One thing that has been virtually ignored, however, are the foods that are able to increase the body’s natural melatonin production.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. Not only does it control your circadian (sleeping and waking) cycles, but it is responsible for regulating other hormones as well. It plays a role in regulating female reproductive hormones including menstruation and menopause.
While young people have the highest melatonin levels, production of this hormone wanes as we age. Some scientists believe this is why older adults struggle more with sleeping for the recommended amount of hours or even why they may go to bed earlier and wake up before the sun.
Boosting Melatonin Production Naturally
Several factors can throw off the body’s natural melatonin production. These include a time change, jet lag, shift work, and even poor vision. And, as stated, it generally decreases in production as we age.
Melatonin supplements are made with synthetic ingredients in a lab or with cow urine. And though the supplements may have slight benefits, especially for people suffering with occasional insomnia, they don’t always offer long-lasting or significant results for those who struggle with sleep on a nightly basis.
There are several foods, however, that can naturally increase melatonin production, eliminating the need for a supplement. According to GreenMedInfo, researchers with Thailand’s Khon Kaen University found that some tropical fruits have significant effects on melatonin production. The scientists gave study subjects a variety of fruits and then measured the amount of melatonin circulating throughout the body by looking at 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s).
Read: 3 Herbal Sleep Remedies
The researchers found pineapples, bananas, and oranges were able to increase melatonin presence significantly. Pineapples increased the presence of aMT6s over 266% while bananas increased levels by 180%. Oranges were able to increase melatonin by approximately 47%.
While supplements are often thought of as the natural alternative to prescription drugs, they are made to mimic those things we find naturally in foods. In other words, they too are a poor substitute for good nutrition and some supplement manufacturers (though not all) are in the business to make money, not with noble intentions of increasing the collective health.
Overview of Some Melatonin-Boosting Foods:
- Pineapples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Oats
- Sweet corn
- Rice
- Tomatoes
- Barley
These article never tell you how much to take.
How much pineapple does one need to eat?
How many bananas?
etc..
I am 37. My problem is that I can't sleep ,not even4 hour I don't want to take any. Kind of. Sleeping pill pl tell me what to do
Yeah, you’re not going to get very far with some of these articles.
Things that help me sleep:
Comfort – no binding pj’s, the right bed (not too soft or too firm).
A bit of food in my belly. A touch of sweetness, like a donut hole not a snickers bar, helps to sleep. Also a warm drink.
No alcohol – it irritates the nervous system and will wake you up in the middle of the night.
Ear plugs – keeps noises muted. Also white noise like a fan or something – not too loud.
Clearing your mind. Your problems will be still there in the morning, and you can’t do anything about them from your bed, so let them go. Put them next to your toothbrush when you go to bed, and pick them up the next morning.
Caffeine or similar after about 2 in the afternoon will keep me up. A soda at lunch, but not during afternoon break, after work, or with dinner.
See, look. I already came up with five. What a loser article. But I bet they won’t lose too much sleep over lack of creativity.
Most sound legit and obvious, but a donut & soda??? Pal-ease!
Yeah, if the donut and soda are putting you to sleep, maybe you should consider having your sugar monitored. I’m a diabetic, and sugar knocks me out. but it doesn’t necessarily keep me asleep. Sugar usually will put most diabetics asleep. The sugar spike is what does it, but it’s not healthy.
it’s easy, just eat more than your stomach can hold. That should do it! 🙂 jk
We need something called Serotonin to live during the day.
Every night, the serotonin you still have left during the day will turn into melatonin
The sun is the BEST sources of serotonin.
If your able to get at least one hour of sun a day you ensure a good nights sleep.
Your serotonin will transform into melatonin.
1 hour of direct or indirect sunlight .
Amen.
a sleep mask to block out all light sources works very well for me, and I have a terrible time sleeping for more than two hours at a time. All the small lights on your tech devices and alarm clocks, etc. prevent you from sleeping. I can even fall asleep with the TV on if I set the sleep timer and use a sleep mask, and I drink coffee all hours of the day, but I also eat all the proper foods and have cut out wheat and high fructose corn syrup to the degree possible. I cook everything from scratch, no processed or packaged foods and avoid all GMO foods possible.
Just eat more. There is no dose that will put you to sleep. Just include these foods in your diet on a regular basis to promote melatonin production.
Pineapple juice is available in many supermarkets.
don’t exercise 3 hours before going to bed, make sure your room is a good temperature not to hot and not to cold, make sure you get some sunlight during the day, make sure that you don’t eat food before you sleep, at least 4 hours before is best. make sure you don’t drink coffee or things with caffeine before you go to bed. Make sure you get Breath Easy strips and place them on your nose if you have a hard time breathing, this will open up your airways to get good breathing while you sleep. Make sure that the lights are out or get a mask for your eyes. You can take a nice bath or shower before going to bed. Do some outdoor breathing, get some good fresh air, take 30 s l o w deep breaths breath in hold it for 3 seconds let it out for 3 seconds this will ensure that you have good oxygen in your system and this promotes good digestion and good sleep.
now wait you said sea salt makes you stay awake then next sentcance said it helps you fall asleep it can’t do both !! confused 🙁
THE most effective food that melatonin is found in is missing from this. Makes the whole article a bit suspect.
What food is that?
Cherries.
Wrong. Tart cherries.
Just because one food isn’t there, makes the whole article suspect? I suspect you may be from BigPharma, opposing any natural remedy to anything?!
Try magnesium supplements!
I’d opt for magnesium rich foods.
Useless article. Why bother. There are a lot more foods than this and no other info!
HOW THE HELL DID I GET HERE?
I suffer chronic insomnia. I go to pilates tai chi yogà x2 weekly each class. I walk 10 000 steps daily. U take chelated magnesium daily tried meditation sleep
Two circumstances can improve your sleep: a loving partner beside you after good sex, alternatively two sauna sessions followed by cold showers.