A glass of warm milk before bed is not the only thing to help you sleep at night. Several foods naturally bring on sleep. Here’s a list of the top 24 that ensure you’re well rested.

The wonder-green that is kale is full of calcium, which helps the brain produce tryptophan, an amino acid, to manufacture melatonin.

Having a salad full of lettuce for dinner before bedtime can speed up the rate you fall asleep because it has lactucarium, which has sedative properties and affects the brain in a similar way to opium.

Having a lot of onions before bed can make you sleepy, with countless solutions for insomnia online involving onions. A slightly unusual but potentially effective idea is to keep a shredded onion in a jar covered with a cloth, then inhale the fumes before bed.

Food rich in magnesium like almonds are recommended if you’re finding it difficult to fall asleep at night. Magnesium is a mineral needed for quality sleep because when your magnesium levels are low it is proven that it’s harder to sleep.

Peanuts, like kale, have tryptophan as well as niacin, a nutrient which helps increase the release of serotonin in the body.

A good sleep-enhancing snack before bed is walnuts because they too are a good source of tryptophan. On top of that, University of Texas researchers found that walnuts contain their own source of melatonin, which may help you fall asleep faster.

Having cottage cheese on crisp bread or having it with lettuce is a snack that promotes sleep because, again, it contains tryptophan.

With calcium helping increase the urge to sleep, harder cheeses that can be sliced and eaten with crackers is a good snack if you’re struggling to slumber. Avoid aged and fermented cheeses though as they increase the secretion of the brain stimulant norepinephrine.

As a game meat, elk has about twice more tryptophan than turkey breast so by eating it before bed you’re much more likely to fall asleep easier. Pair it with some carbohydrates and you’re sure to be able to nod off.

Crustaceans like shrimp and lobster are also a great source of tryptophan and eating them may promote your need and ability to sleep.

Foods high in Vitamin B6 like tuna, halibut and salmon promote the production of melatonin and serotonin, making them good food choices if you’re struggling to get to sleep.

After eating pretzels you’ll have a natural spike in your blood sugar and insulin levels because they have a high glycemic index. This means it shortens the time it takes you to fall asleep. The blood sugar and insulin increase helps tryptophan enter your brain and bring on sleep.

Carbohydrates like wholegrain bread tend to spike blood glucose levels but once the glucose level drops back down you can experience an energy crash, making you sleepy.

Eating bananas relaxes your muscles and nerves because of the magnesium and potassium they contain. Vitamin B6 in bananas also converts tryptophan into serotonin, increasing relaxation even more.

Like bananas, sweet potatoes also contain that muscle-relaxant potassium which puts the body into rest mode. They’re complex carbohydrates and contain tryptophan. Having a sweet potato with dinner two or three times a week can assist with a better sleep pattern.

The healthy doses of calcium found in yogurt help for a good night’s sleep. Having it with other sleep-promoting foods like cherries and honey makes for a yummy night-time snack to help you feel rested.

Any food with chickpeas, especially hummus, is a good source of tryptophan. Having hummus with wholegrain crackers is a great way to give the body what it needs to sleep better.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, having cereal later in the day rather than breakfast can help promote sleep. It contains two components that help you fall asleep: carbohydrates from the cereal and calcium from the milk.

Having a spoonful of honey or with a tea before bed can bring on a more restful sleep. It has natural sugar which slightly raises insulin and allows tryptophan to enter the brain more easily.

An Australian study found that eating white rice will significantly slash the time it takes you to fall asleep due to its high glycemic index. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also supported this and found that jasmine rice in particular increased the rate at which people are able to fall asleep.

The old wives’ tale of having a warm glass of milk before bed can work because of the high level of calcium. As well as containing that all-important tryptophan, warm liquid provides a soothing and relaxing effect promoting the body’s need for sleep.

Drinking a cup of passionfruit tea one hour before bed can help you sleep more soundly. Harman alkaloids, chemicals found in the flower, act on your nervous system to make you tired.

A stress-busting cup of chamomile tea will not only relax you but make it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can act as a mild sedative because it promotes an increase of glycine, the chemical that relaxes nerves and muscles.

Eating cherries as they are or having a tart cherry juice can bring on sleep. They help top up the melatonin that already naturally occurs in your body.