Some foods are better than others at helping us sleep. Here are the best three for a good night’s kip

Nuts

Nut butters can make for a delicious snack – they are also high in protein and healthy fats, perfect for boosting your muscles and fitness. On top of this, all nuts have varying levels of tryptophan, an amino acid that can help create serotonin, which has been found to promote better quality sleep. The nuts that contain the highest levels of this amino acid are cashews, pistachios and almonds. Try Holland & Barrett’s Mixed Nuts for a pre-sleep snack (£8.49, 1kg, hollandandbarrett.com).

Complex carbs

Potentially bad news for keto insomniacs: no carbs before bedtime could be the rule to break if you want better zzzs. A study in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming carbohydrate meals that have a high-glycaemicindex can help shorten sleep onset latency (SOL), which is the time it takes you to get to sleep from the moment you hit the hay. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean smashing a few cookies before bedtime, as that could lead to too much sugar and make you restless. Stick to starchy veg such as sweet potatoes or regular spuds to stimulate the release of sleep-inducing serotonin.

Teas

Not the builder’s kind – we’re talking teas that are calming but without the caffeine. Chamomile is one of the oldest medicinal herbs on the planet, having been used since ancient Egyptian times for its healing properties, and there’s some evidence it can help to promote better sleep. A study from Japan found that chamomile increases hypnotic activity (processes in the brain that promote sleep) – the study compared its effects to benzodiazepine, a common tranquilliser. Try Hatters CBD Infused Tea Bags Chamomile (£19.99, 20 bags, hollandandbarrett.com).