Recent research and nutrition guidance highlight how certain foods can truly influence the quality of our sleep. Foods like walnuts, tart cherries, kiwi, warm milk, seaweed, and pumpkin seeds contain natural sleep-supporting nutrients — melatonin, tryptophan, magnesium, serotonin — that help regulate our sleep-wake cycles and promote relaxation. When paired with healthy bedtime habits, these simple snacks and meals may help us rest more deeply and wake up refreshed. Instead of relying on caffeine or heavy late meals, eating with intention could bring peaceful sleep and renewed energy.
If rest is a gift from God for our body and soul, how might choosing nourishment that honors His design for our health become a small act of stewardship and thanksgiving?
We've heard it since childhood—what we eat impacts how we feel. But how many of us have truly stopped to listen to that advice? Especially in the day and age of fast food, drive-through dollar menus, and the price of fresh produce, it's no wonder we throw the thought out of the window with last week's trash.
While research shows that certain foods impact our mental and physical wellness, recent studies also reveal that what we eat affects how we sleep. If you could achieve deeper sleep simply by eating well, would you?
6 Foods That Naturally Support Sleep
Many of you wish that eating fries, cheeseburgers, and whatever your heart desires will bring you a beautiful night of shut-eye. The reality is, most foods we crave as comfort foods aren't the best for our sleep. It's okay to eat all foods in moderation, but knowing which sources naturally support our sleep cycles can be equally helpful. Let's take a look at the 6 top foods for sleep:
1. Walnuts
Despite being a common allergen, walnuts improve our sleep by increasing melatonin production. You can get melatonin from many vitamin sources, but why not get it more naturally? Melatonin, in turn, can help you fall asleep faster, improve sleep quality, and help you focus better during the day.
2. Tart Cherries
According to the Cleveland Clinic, tart cherries contain natural compounds that may support better sleep. Like walnuts, cherries contain melatonin, but they also contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that produces melatonin and serotonin. You may be familiar with serotonin when people struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges.
3. Kiwi
Noted by the National Institute of Health, kiwis are similar to walnuts and cherries in that they contain high levels of melatonin. The cool thing about kiwis, however, is that they also naturally contain high levels of serotonin and are rich in antioxidants. Combined, this fruit promotes relaxation and help the body recover and unwind.
4. Warm Milk
As a child, I did try drinking warm milk at midnight when I couldn't sleep. I also tried standing on my head (no joke). Unlike my headstands, warm beverages (that aren't caffeinated) can offer sleep-promoting properties. This is because of the amino acid tryptophan. If you're dairy-free like me, don't worry! Nearly any milk will do.
5. Pumpkin Seeds
Like tart cherries or walnuts, pumpkin seeds are a natural source of tryptophan. Over time, this amino acid converts into serotonin and melatonin, helping regulate sleep. They're also rich in magnesium and zinc, which can often be used as sleep aids.
6. Seaweed
While I can get on board with all the other foods, seaweed isn't my favorite. However, eating this antioxidant-rich vegetable has been proven to calm the brain, aid in quality sleep, lower blood sugar, and reduce heart disease. Again, with tryptophan, it offers muscle relaxation and minerals to support nervous system regulation.
While the science behind all of these foods is evident, Scripture helps us understand that food is only one aspect of caring for our Temples. Just as we need to implement healthy habits physically and mentally, we will need to implement them spiritually, too.
Healthy Habits That Improve Sleep
Because our bodies are Temples and the living God dwells within us, I believe that means we're called to tend to those homes well. Our spiritual bodies will go on to live forever, but these physical statures aren't made to last. And that's all the more reason to care for the one we have now with priority and good health.
Instead of eating heavy meals, try dining on light, simple evening snacks when you get the munchies. Enjoy treats, but pair nutrition with consistency. For example, enjoy your cup of joe, but limit caffeine after 3 pm so it won't impact your sleep.
Or, enjoy your daily routine, but create a calming bedtime routine. Instead of waiting till the last minute to fall into bed, exhausted from the day that ran you over, put some structure and relaxation into your day. For example, set a time to start getting ready for bed and plan something to look forward to. My husband and I love winding down with a show and dinner, and this is part of our routine.
Dimming the lights and screens you use in the evening can also be helpful!
No matter the habit you choose, remember that rest is a gift from God. While foods and routines can aid with sleep, I would invite you to see nourishment as stewardship—however that looks in your life. Physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and relationally.
Choosing healthy foods is great and super important, but it's just one habit we can partake in that supports rest and reflects gratitude for how God designed our bodies. Just like fleeing from sexual sin or choosing to exercise are healthy and necessary choices we should make daily. Small acts of care aren't selfish, but spiritual disciplines of honoring our Temple (body, mind, and soul).
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV).
5 Practical Steps for Better Sleep
Friends, if you're reading this today, longing for change but feeling paralyzed in your food choices or spiritual disciplines, I want you to know that there is hope. You don't have to overhaul everything at once, but you can choose to practice 1 small thing this week. Maybe even 1 a night if that feels doable.
1. Instead of eating the entire box of cereal before bed, eat some with a cup of yogurt or a glass of warm milk.
2. Watch a show you like before bed, but dim the screen and lights. Bonus: Choose something that won't give you nightmares!
3. Find a good book and use a light reader to read it before bed. I love doing this because it makes my brain and eyes tired!
4. Dedicate 5 minutes before bed to pause, breathe, and reflect on the day. Give thanks to God and pray, asking Him to help you sleep.
5. Try one of the top 6 foods to help you rest and see what works for you! Every person is different, but trying never hurts!
What we eat and the habits we partake in are important, but learning to rest in the Lord through these things is always what matters most. Will you embrace His rest in caring for Temple today?
A Prayer for Restful Sleep
Dear Jesus,
We know that caring for our Temples is important, and yet we often slack off on food, sleep, or spiritual disciplines. Tonight, please help us learn to rest well. Show us which habits we need to form, which we need to let go of, and where we need to surrender. Allow us to accept your invitation to rest, deeply, intentionally, and with thanksgiving. Whether it's through what we eat, drink, or the holy habits we create, let us give glory, honor, praise, and recognition to you. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus.
Amen.
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