As the evenings get lighter, late night rides can result in sleepless nights – but experts tell us that cherries are one of the foods that can aid shut-eye. Tart cherry juice such as the ruby red elixir from Montmorency is the most effective and can apparently help improve the quality and duration of sleep, reducing the severity of post-ride insomnia.

8 Foods That Will Definitely Help You Sleep 

Eating healthily and exercising regularly are two components of fitness – but quality sleep enables the latter which can be severely impacted if you’re not getting enough hours in the sack. Lack of sleep can result in low energy and therefore overeating, too.

Though some turn to medicinal sleeping aids to help them sleep, there are natural alternatives. It’s melatonin that’s responsible for the regulation of the body’s internal clock and sleep-wake cycle; and as one of the few natural sources of melatonin researchers believe it is the combination of melatonin and the anthocyanins in Montmorency tart cherries that might help you sleep better at night.

One study found that drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks helped increase sleep time by nearly 90 minutes among older adults with insomnia. Adults who drank two servings of Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate each day for seven days slept about 40 minutes longer on average and had up to a 6 percent increase in sleep efficiency, compared to the participants who drank another beverage.

Incorporating cherry juice into your diet isn’t always easy, but we’ve got a great recipe to help you out. Of course, we wouldn’t suggest scoffing a batch of scones before bed, but one with a nice cup of tea after dinner would go down very nicely…