According to a recent article on caring.com, eating cherries in the day will help you sleep at night.

The fruit has a number of properties that encourage sleep so eating them is recommended if you are struggling to get to sleep.

Apparently “Fresh and dried cherries are one of the only natural food sources of melatonin, the chemical that controls the body’s internal clock to regulate sleep”. Melatonin supplements can be purchased over the counter but experts generally agree that the best effects of melatonin are achieved through the consumption of food.

The article also revealed that, after closer investigation, researchers discovered that tart cherries – such as the Montmorency – are particularly effective at inducing sleep, mainly due to the higher levels of melatonin in these types of cherries compared to those lighter in colour.

In order to induce greater drowsiness, the piece recommended that cherries are eaten around an hour before getting into bed , or even ahead of a long flight.

The beneficial effects of cherries can be enjoyed either in a cherry juice drink or in fruit smoothies, and cherries can also be added to yoghurt, cereal or oatmeal. Cherries can also help sleep by eating them on their own when ripe, or when they are frozen.