Dear Jane,

It is true that what we eat can affect the quality of our sleep. As a food specialist, I have some advice for you to improve your situation.

Foods rich in tryptophan, carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, melatonin and vitamin B6 can all help promote quality sleep. Foods rich in tryptophan include milk, cheese, eggs, nuts, fish and beans. These are protein-rich foods, so they should be easy to remember when you’re deciding what to have for a bedtime snack. Carbohydrate-rich food for dinner helps a lot of people sleep. These include rice, breads, dairy products or potatoes. While some of the foods in the list below should be avoided generally, some of them are only troublesome when it comes to helping you fall asleep, so they should be avoided at dinnertime. Caffeine from coffee, tea, or chocolate, alcohol, spicy foods, overly fatty foods or sugary junk foods should be avoided eating before bedtime.

I hope that my advice will bring good sleep for you.

Good luck!