Order This to Sleep Better

The meal you choose tonight could mean the difference between counting sheep and getting some serious shut-eye. So order the salmon.

In her new book Eat Your Way to Happiness, Elizabeth Somer, RD, explains how nutrients in salmon, as well as in beans, yogurt, and spinach, could help make you a more satisfied sleeper.

Salmon
The healthy fats in this fish (namely docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA for short) may boost levels of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. Eating at home? Try this quick and easy Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon recipe.

Beans
Beans and other legumes provide a nice sampling of B vitamins, including B6, B12, and folic acid, all of which help the body regulate sleep cycles and produce relaxing serotonin. In fact, studies have shown that boosting B vitamins may help people with insomnia. Try this Zesty Bean Dip and Chips recipe.

Low-Fat Yogurt
Yogurt is a good source of calcium and magnesium -- two important sleep-supporting minerals that together help you fall asleep faster and ratchet up your deep-sleep time. And skimping on both may lead to muscle cramps, higher stress levels, and worse sleep.

Spinach
Dark leafy greens are a great source of iron -- a nutrient that may help protect against the sleep robber known as restless legs syndrome. Could you have this condition? Take this quiz and find out.

Here are four other things the YOU Docs recommend you do right now to help you sleep better tonight.

Eat Your Way to Happiness. Somer, Elizabeth, Ontario, Canada: Harlequin, 2009.