THE HEALING TABLE: Top 5 Sleep-Promoting Foods

THE HEALING TABLE

5 Foods That May Help Support a Good Night's Sleep

Sleepy-Time Oat Bowl

There's no single food that can guarantee a good night's rest, but certain foods contain nutrients and naturally occurring compounds involved in sleep and relaxation. This month, we're bringing five of them together in one simple bowl: oats, almonds, kiwi, tart cherries, and banana.

It's an easy breakfast, snack—or even a light evening treat.

What's in Our Sleepy-Time Bowl?

Oats

Oats provide complex carbohydrates and contain small amounts of naturally occurring melatonin. They're also an easy whole-grain base for bringing our other sleep-friendly foods together.

Almonds

Almonds provide magnesium, a mineral involved in many functions throughout the nervous system. Research has found an association between magnesium status and sleep, although studies of magnesium supplementation have produced mixed results. So think nutritious food, not sleeping pill.

Kiwi

This little fruit may be one of the more interesting foods being studied for sleep. In one small study, adults with sleep problems who ate two kiwifruits an hour before bedtime for four weeks reported improvements in sleep onset, duration, and efficiency. More research is needed, but it's certainly an interesting reason to add kiwi to the bowl.

Tart Cherries

Tart cherries naturally contain melatonin, which helps regulate our sleep-wake cycle. Small clinical studies of tart cherry juice have found possible improvements in sleep duration and quality, although the overall evidence remains limited and results vary between studies.

Banana

Bananas provide potassium and magnesium and add natural sweetness and creaminess to our bowl. While bananas themselves haven't been shown to treat sleep problems, they're an easy way to add nutritious whole food without added sugar.

Ingredients

• ½ cup old-fashioned oats

• 1 cup milk or unsweetened milk alternative

• ½ banana, sliced

• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

• 1–2 tablespoons dried tart cherries*

• 1 tablespoon sliced or chopped almonds

• Sprinkle of cinnamon

• Optional: small drizzle of honey

Directions

• Combine the oats and milk and cook according to the oat package directions.

• Transfer to your favorite bowl and top with banana, kiwi, tart cherries, and almonds.

• Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and, if you'd like a little extra sweetness, a small drizzle of honey.

• Then sit down, slow down, and enjoy.

Make It Overnight

Prefer something cold? Combine the oats and milk in a covered container and refrigerate overnight. In the morning—or when you're ready to eat—add the fruit, cherries, almonds, and cinnamon.

A Little Food for Thought

• The goal isn't to think of these foods as sleeping pills.

• Think of them as another example of what The Healing Table is all about: choosing whole foods that provide nutrients our bodies use to function well.

• And when it comes to sleep, food is only one small piece of a much bigger picture.

• Pair nourishing foods with healthy sleep habits, movement, natural light during the day, and enough time to actually rest.

• Then let your body do what it was designed to do.

From The Healing Table

Tonight, don't just count sheep—give your body something good to work with.

Food as Medicine—one delicious choice at a time.

Sources & Further Reading

1. Lin H-H, et al. Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problems. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011.

2. Howatson G, et al. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality.European Journal of Nutrition, 2012.

3. Nisar T, et al. Effectiveness of Melatonin-Containing Foods on Promoting Sleep: A Scoping Review. Food Science & Nutrition, 2026.

4. Arab A, et al. The Role of Magnesium in Sleep Health: A Systematic Review of Available Literature. Biological Trace Element Research, 2023.