According to the Stanford Center for Sleep Science and Medicine, nearly 1 in 10 adults in the United States suffer from insomnia. Although most cases are short-term insomnia, many people also suffer from chronic insomnia (i.e. difficulty falling asleep or getting full nights for more than six months). This sleep deprivation can significantly decrease the quality of one's life.

While work and family stress remain the primary cause of insomnia, eating the wrong foods - such as those high in sugar, caffeine, gluten or polyunsaturated fatty acids - can also contribute to insomnia. It is therefore understandable that an improved diet is without a doubt the first step in putting an end to insomnia, especially if we favour foods known to improve sleep.

Four foods that help you (re)find good sleep

The almonds

They are one of the best foods for treating insomnia, as they are very rich in magnesium, which is a natural muscle relaxant and has anti-stress properties. In December 2012, a study published in the Journal of Medical Sciences Research found that magnesium supplementation could "improve subjective measures of insomnia, such as ISI scores, sleep efficiency, sleep time and sleep latency, early morning awakening, and similarly, objective measures of insomnia, such as serum renin concentration, melatonin, and serum cortisol, in older adults."

The cherries

Cherries and their by-products are often linked to improved sleep. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition in December 2012 found that volunteers who consumed a concentrated cherry juice pie for seven days had "significantly elevated" total melatonin levels in their urine compared to the control group. As a result, this study group experienced better quality and more restful sleep.

Bananas

Many people don't know that bananas can help with sleep, as they are generally used to boost energy. It is because of the "magic trio": magnesium - potassium - tryptophan that this fruit influences sleep. Tryptophan is particularly effective in this regard since it is the precursor of two neurotransmitters, serotonin and melatonin, which modulate sleep.

Valerian

Since ancient Greece and Rome, the root of this plant is consumed in tea or in the form of mother tincture for its soothing virtues. Its sedative and anxiolytic properties have been proven by numerous studies. In 2011, for example, a study found that valerian extracts provided a "statistically significant" improvement in sleep quality in post-menopausal women with sleep disorders. The authors of the study concluded that the results of this study confirm the effectiveness of valerian in the clinical manifestations of insomnia.