The foods you should eat for a better night's sleep

Nearly 40 per cent of Australians suffer from some sort of sleep deprivation.
That was the statistic we were hit with this morning from Today Extra hosts Sonia Kruger and David Campbell. Apparently it is costing the country in excess of 66 billion dollars a year, with lack of sleep increasing our risk of heart disease, cancer, and playing havoc with our hormones which can lead to cravings and weight gain, not to mention the anxiety that sleeplessness can cause.

But there is hope. 9Honey Kitchen's favourite nutritionist, Lyndi Cohen, dropped by the show to share her list of foods that can help settle you for the best night's sleep possible.

Food and sleep.
That sounds like an ideal combination to us.

While these tips won't stop the kids from waking you in the night (or get that noisy neighbour to turn the music down), these foods will support restfulness and help to make the most of the sleep you do get.

Check out the clip above for Lyndi's full low-down on why these foods will help you get better rest, and then check out her list of nutritionist approved bedtime snacks below.

Dairy is your friend:

Milk before bed (and other dairy) is a winning nightcap. For Lyndi, some of the settling effect of a cup of warm milk comes from the comfort and nostalgia of begin fed milk as a baby. But it also contains sleep inducing amino acids, which help produce melatonin, which is essential to a restful night's sleep. She suggests milk, cheese including ricotta and yogurt as a pre-bed snack, but points out that the sugar and fat in products like ice cream will outweigh the negative benefits of the dairy, so choose wisely.

Go nuts:

Nuts and seeds are next on the list of suggest pre-sleep munchies. These help you feel full—to avoid being disturbed in the night be hunger pains—and again they contain the amino acids that help with melatonin production and get good sleep.

Good bananas:

Just like pasta (and the sleepy feeling you get after eating it), banana has the kind of carbohydrates that will send you into a drowsy state. Eating a banana causes an increase in insulin and keeps you feeling full through the night. And it seems that we might be naturally inclined to reach for this kind of natural support if Sonia's toddler is anything to go by.

"Every night she asks for a banana," says the host, adding that she will then happily do to sleep, indicating that bananas certainly work.

After these three positively joyful 'do' tips, here are just a couple of things to avoid according to our nutritionist.

• Avoid eating too much before bed
• Avoid high sugar foods or spicy foods
• And obviously skip or limit tea and coffee or caffeine containing foods

So grab your PJs and meet us on the couch for a little late night feast.