Struggling to sleep well at night? A doctor has shared a simple tip that might just be the solution – by eating a certain fruit before hitting the sack. Dr Michael Mrozinski took to TikTok to share his advice, saying: “I always get asked, ‘What can I do to help with my sleep?’ and I don’t think it gets much easier than just eating a fruit.”
He cited a 2023 study by Ronan Doherty et al, published in the National Library of Medicine, which found that consuming two kiwifruits before bed led to several sleep improvements. “It improved perceived sleep quality, increased the total time of sleep and increased the sleep efficiency,” he explained.
“It also reduced the amount of times people woke up during the night, and perceived stress levels.” So, what’s the secret?
According to Dr Mrozinski, it’s all down to a hormone that signals your brain it’s time to sleep. “It’s because they contain melatonin, which is the hormone released by your pineal gland just as you’re about to sleep,” he continued. “It also helps that they’re really tasty too! Good luck.”
Many of his followers agree to agree, with one commenting: “I eat kiwifruit most nights. It definitely works.” Another shared their own experience: “I worked in a psych ward and one of the kids ate kiwi at night for this reason. I tried it with my daughter and it worked!”.
A third raved about the benefits of the fruit: “Omg I can back this works. I read it somewhere and tried it. Didn’t think for a second it would work but it does. So strange!” A fourth shared their positive experience, commenting: “I have sleep problems and ate a kiwi last night, I had a much better sleep, really made a difference.”
Whilst a fourth person concurred: “This actually works have been doing this for a month now and been sleeping like a baby used to be lucky if I got four hours of sleep, now I’m on six to eight, it’s bliss.”
Regarding melatonin, the NHS states: “Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body. At night, your levels of melatonin rise, before returning to normal during the day. This helps to control how and when you sleep.
“You can take a synthetic version of melatonin for short periods if you have sleep problems such as insomnia. This adds to your body’s natural supply of melatonin, so you fall asleep more quickly and you’re less likely to wake up during the night. Melatonin takes around 1 to 2 hours to work.”
The NHS also recommends everyone consumes at least five portions (five x 80g) of a variety of fruit and vegetables per day. Two kiwi fruits equates to one of those five portions.