1. Add foods that are rich in tryptophan to your diet

According to Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a nutrition scientist and research at Columbia University and coauthor of the "Eat Better, Sleep Better" cookbook, tryptophan is an amino acid found in food that is converted to serotonin and melatonin in the brain. Both chemicals play an important role in sleep.

"Melatonin is important for helping one fall asleep and remain asleep throughout the night," St-Onge said. "Serotonin makes people feel happy and is related to our sleep-wake cycle."

Some foods that contain tryptophan are almonds, barley, brown rice, chia seeds, lentils, oats, pumpkin seeds, salmon, tofu, turkey, walnuts, white beans, and yogurt. Although eating these foods won't instantly make you sleep, integrating them into your diet will help improve your sleep over time.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to improve your sleep, St-Onge said. She recommends adding more vegetables to your recipes and switching out more processed, refined foods with some fruit.

Many fruits and vegetables are "good sources for multiple sleep-supporting nutrients," such as serotonin, melatonin, and micronutrients like magnesium, vitamin B6, and folate, St-Onge said. Fruits and vegetables are also high in fiber, with some of St-Onge's research showing that people with high fiber diets tend to sleep deeper.

Some "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables St-Onge recommends for healthier sleep include bananas, cherries, pineapples, spinach, and tomatoes.

"Eventually, [those healthy swaps] will start to take the place of more refined carbohydrates," as well as added sugar, which can disrupt your sleep, St-Onge said. According to a 2020 study from St-Onge and her colleagues, women with higher amounts of refined carbohydrates and added sugars in their diet had an increased risk of insomnia.

Although sensitivity to caffeine varies from person to person, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. The specific timing will likely be different for everyone, but for some people, stopping their caffeine intake by late morning works the best.

4. Don't drink alcohol right before bed

Although some people drink alcohol before going to bed to help them sleep, Michael Grandner, a psychologist and sleep researcher at the University of Arizona, said that alcohol is only a temporary solution.

Alcohol may initially have a sedative effect, but "the pendulum swings in the opposite direction and wakes you up" as the alcohol leaves your system, Grandner said, which ends up making your sleep "shallow, choppy, and broken up."

If you want to have an alcoholic drink in the evening, have it at least a few hours before bedtime so the alcohol has more time to leave your body.

And if you think drinking alcohol is affecting your sleep, Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, a sleep specialist and medical director based in Florida, recommends trying to reduce your consumption by half. "We're not saying stop alcohol completely," Abbasi-Feinberg said. "Change the timing and the amount a little bit."

5. Don't eat a heavy meal right before bed

According to Abbasi-Feinberg, eating a large meal, like a hamburger or a plate of pasta, right before bed can lead to sleep disruptions. At night, digestion slows, and laying flat after eating can cause physical discomfort, including heartburn and reflux.

To put it simply, "you're not supposed to eat and then lay down for hours at a time," Grandner said. If you stop eating a few hours before bed, your digestion will be done, and you'll be able to sleep better.

Chris Winter, a neurologist and sleep specialist from Virginia, said it's fine to have a snack in the evening, but he recommends keeping it light, such as hummus and chips or a bowl of cereal.

Overall, "[w]hat you eat, in terms of nutrients, fats, sugar and fiber, can all play a role in sleep quality at night," St-Onge said.