22-07-2025
A spoonful of common diet staple an hour before bed ‘helps you sleep better' – plus 5 other hacks
The snack is packed healthy fats, which help keep your blood sugar stable, a key factor in preventing those annoying 3am wake-ups
SNOOZE EASY A spoonful of common diet staple an hour before bed 'helps you sleep better' – plus 5 other hacks
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STRUGGLING to get a decent night's sleep?
Well, you aren't alone, Brits are one of the world's most sleep deprived countries - as we average just six and a half hours of kip per night, stats show.
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A condiment hiding in your kitchen cupboard could help you sleep better at night
Credit: Getty
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Peanut butter packs magnesium to help you sleep better
Credit: Getty
Thankfully, a scoop of this everyday food might be the answer, and it's probably already in your cupboard.
A doctor has claimed that scoffing a spoonful of peanut butter an hour before bed could help you sleep right through the night.
'This is because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid vital for the production of serotonin, which can have a calming effect on your brain,' said Dr Kunal Sood, US-based anaesthesiologist.
It also packs healthy fats, which help keep your blood sugar stable, a key factor in preventing those annoying 3am wake-ups.
'Lastly, peanut butter also contains magnesium, which has been shown to also relax you and improve sleep quality,' Dr Sood explained in a recent TikTok video.
Although there's no research on the effects of peanut butter on sleep specifically, some studies back the idea that tryptophan-rich foods can improve sleep.
That's because tryptophan can be turned into a molecule called 5-HTP, which your body uses to make serotonin and melatonin.
Serotonin helps regulate mood, thinking and sleep, while melatonin is the hormone that controls your sleep–wake cycle.
But a 2024 study found peanut butter didn't help sleep.
Although the research, published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, only tested 40 firefighters, who often have disrupted sleep anyway, so the results might not apply to everyone.
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Dr Sood was reacting to a viral video posted by 29-year-old Kat Eilonwy from Pennsylvania, US, which has now racked up 1.8million views.
She said: 'So, apparently eating a spoon of peanut butter before bed helps drop your cortisol levels to help you sleep.'
Cortisol, often called the 'stress hormone' can mess with your sleep if levels are too high in the evening.
Previous research, including the 2021 ARISTOTLE study, has linked regular peanut butter consumption to lower cortisol levels, along with reduced anxiety and depression.
Commenters were quick to back the nut butter hack.
One wrote: 'I discovered that a spoonful before bedtime helps me sleep through the night.'
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The butter contains serotonin, which can have a 'calming effect on the brain,' says the US doctor
Credit: TikTok / doctorsood
Another said: 'Every night I take one slice of bread, slap some PB on it and fold it in half. I'm always asleep within 30 minutes of eating that.'
A third added: 'It works! I've been doing it for three months, doing it to help my stomach when I couldn't sleep and noticed I slept better after a spoonful of peanut butter.'
Dr Sood's followers also agreed. One said: 'I have trouble sleeping almost every night. Peanut butter has helped me a lot.'
Another added: 'Wow okay good reason to eat peanut butter.' And a third added: 'I thought I was the only one who did this!'
Peanut butter, or just peanuts, has also been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
But Dr Sood warned: 'It is worth noting while peanut butter may help some people sleep, it is not for everyone.'
As one unlucky commenter put it: 'Dammit, I'm allergic to peanuts.'
