9 Foods That Help You Sleep

You place a mask over your eyes to block out the light, put in earplugs to avoid the loud neighbors, and try to relax your mind from thinking about your to-do list, but you still can't sleep. What gives? Are you tired (literally) of crawling into bed only to find yourself lying wide awake? Or do you wake up every hour on the hour? Well, there are some things you can do to ensure a good night's sleep — and it starts with what you eat for dinner.

Click here to see the 9 Foods That Help You Sleep (Slideshow)

We spoke with Dr. Michael Gelb, DDS, MS, a New York-based sleep doctor, and he helped compile a list of foods that help promote sleep. Turns out, it's important to look for foods that contain tryptophan, which he tells us "is an amino acid [that] releases serotonin, which play a key role in regulating sleep. Consuming tryptophan late in the day will release melatonin and serotonin for good sleep."

So, if you are one of those people that lie awake tossing and turning for hours before you fall asleep, you may have to alter what you eat in the afternoon and evenings. Start by checking out the list of foods that can help you sleep and see if you can incorporate them into your late lunch or dinner. Nothing is worse than not being able to fall asleep when you know you have to wake up early. So, learn how to avoid it from the start.

Sleep is important — and you deserve a good night's rest. If you are having trouble falling asleep or wake up constantly throughout the night, try eating some of these foods to fall asleep and stay asleep until morning. Get cooking with these foods to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Sweet dreams!

Emily Jacobs is the Recipe editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @EmilyRecipes.