Sleep Like a Baby with This Tangy Beverage

A warm glass of milk may not be the only beverage that can help make you sleepy. Sipping some tart cherry juice also might help you nod off.

In fact, in a study of older adults, tart cherry juice seemed to help them fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and rack up more total hours of sleep at night.

Melatonin in a Glass
The study involved research participants sipping a commercially prepared tart cherry juice morning and night for a couple of weeks. Although it was a small study funded by the juice manufacturer, it was not without merit. And similar research has already shown cherries to be high in melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone that's produced by the pineal gland in the brain but that can be found in some plant sources, too, like fruit. Cherries are also loaded with certain anti-inflammatory cytokines that are thought to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. (Use this questionnaire to find out what may be throwing your sleep-wake cycle off.)

More Sleep Aids
Still, more research is needed to confirm the results as well as determine whether cherry juice from concentrate or whole cherries could provide similar get-to-sleep benefits. If you decide to try sipping juice daily to help get yourself to sleep, keep in mind that the sweetened varieties will add more calories to your diet. For calorie-free get-to-sleep tricks, try these tips:

• Keep a routine. Here's how a regular schedule each day sets you up for better sleep at night.
• Make a happy face. Find out how certain facial expressions may help you snore less and sleep more.
• Ditch stress. Unwind before bed with these stress-less strategies.

Go ahead, sleep in. Here's why your blood pressure will thank you.