What should I eat to fall asleep?

Know the role of food and other lifestyle factors in promoting sleep

- CHESHIRE QUE, RND, RN, RD

Are you tossing and turning in bed at night, unable to blissfully fall asleep? You are not alone.

Resmed’s 2025 Global Sleep Survey, spanning 13 countries with over 30,000 survey respondents, revealed a world struggling with poor sleep. The fifth global survey conducted by Resmed showed that even if people get seven hours of sleep at night, only four nights out of seven are restful or considered good quality sleep. Furthermore, approximately one-third of people have trouble falling asleep (34 percent) or staying asleep (29 percent) three or more nights per week.

Women have poorer sleep quality than men. Women’s brains work harder as multitaskers. Therefore, they require more restorative sleep according to a study conducted by the Loughborough University Sleep Research Center. In addition, hormonal fluctuations from the menstrual period, pregnancy, and menopause can also cause sleep disruptions. According to a study on sleep and women’s health, menstruating women report poorer sleep quality and more sleep disruptions during the premenstrual week. As for women with menopause, sleep disorders affect 51 percent of women.

Striking a balance between self-care, home and family life, work, and social obligations or expectations often leaves sleep at the bottom of one’s priority list. According to Resmed’s 2025 Global Sleep Survey, the top five contributing factors to a poor night’s sleep include stress at 57 percent, anxiety at 46 percent, financial pressures at 31 percent, mental health conditions at 17 percent, and family or relationship issues at 15 percent. Moreover, research from the Journal of Public Health found a significant increase in the risk of bad sleep quality and intermittent or anxious sleep patterns among social media users.