5 Snacks For A Better Night's Sleep

May is Better Sleep Month, a perfect time to think about the quantity and quality of your sleep. Odds are, you're not getting enough.

Most Americans get far less than the recommended 7-9 hours a night, and that lack of sleep can have an impact in just about every area of your life – from performance at work to relationships with your family, and even your ability to maintain a healthy weight. If you're having trouble getting the sleep you need, rather than popping a pill, you can help your body relax and ease into sleep with some simple combinations of foods.

According to dietitian Gloria Tsang, founder of nutrition network HealthCastle.com and author of Go UnDiet: 50 Small Actions for Lasting Weight Loss, combining lean proteins with complex carbohydrates is the perfect formula for inducing sleep.

"Everyone's heard of tryptophan – an amino acid most commonly associated with post-Thanksgiving-turkey naps," Gloria says. "But tryptophan is actually found in many protein-rich foods, and complex carbohydrates work with your metabolism to allow the tryptophan to work most effectively to help you sleep."

Here are Gloria's top picks for evening snack combinations that include both tryptophan and complex carbohydrates to help your body prepare for a good night's rest.

Top Evening Snacks for Better Sleep

• Six whole grain crackers with one ounce mozzarella cheese
• One small bran muffin with a cup of milk or a handful of peanuts, cashews, or almonds
• Half a cup of whole grain cereal or oatmeal with a cup of milk or yogurt
• One slice whole wheat bread or half a whole grain pita with two ounces of sliced turkey breast (not deli slices) or low-fat egg salad
• Half a whole grain English muffin with two tablespoons of hummus

To ensure the best sleep possible, you should avoid caffeine after lunchtime – plus cut out late-night sweets, which can cause your blood sugar to drop at night, interrupting your rest.