The #1 Snack for Better Sleep, According to a Dietitian

We all know that unpleasant feeling of not getting enough sleep—or getting poor quality sleep. It might make you feel groggy in the moment, but it can have some nasty side effects over time from damaging your skin to increasing your risk for heart-related conditions. There are several ways to improve your sleep, one of which being the foods you eat throughout the day. Several foods can help us sleep better, but one stands alone among the rest: tart cherries. If you're looking for the perfect nighttime snack to help you catch more zzz's, look no further. Our Tart Cherry Nice Cream is the best way to satisfy a sweet tooth and help you get a more restful night's sleep.

One reason that certain foods can help us sleep better is because they are natural sources of melatonin. While you might be familiar with melatonin as something in pill-form that people take to help them sleep, it's actually a hormone that our body produces all the time. It increases with darkness and decreases with light, which helps us create a sleep-wake cycle (aka our circadian rhythm). Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, and have been shown to help relieve insomnia symptoms. Research has also found that tart cherries might increase sleep time and sleep quality—a win-win if you ask us.

In our Tart Cherry Nice Cream recipe, tart cherry juice partners with bananas—another sleep-friendly food. Bananas are high in potassium and vitamin B6, which are needed to produce melatonin in the body, according to research. The recipe is also rich in fiber, clocking in at 5 grams per serving. Research shows that fiber is associated with more restorative slow-wave sleep, meaning that getting enough will help you sleep better. Plus, the dish has only four ingredients.

An added bonus—this late-night snack is ready in just 10 minutes and is made without any added sugar, so you won't be buzzing with energy after a bowl. The combination of ripe bananas and sweet cherries deliver just enough natural sweetness, while the tart cherries deliver a slightly sour kick.

If you're wondering what to have as a dessert or nighttime snack for better sleep, look no further. Our Tart Cherry Nice Cream is the best snack to eat for better sleep due thanks to it's sleep-inducing ingredients. It's proof that you can satisfy your sweet tooth and catch more zzz's as a result.