Study: Drinking Cherry Juice Improves Sleep Quality

(NewsCore) - Insomniacs should have a glass of sour cherry juice to help them doze off and improve sleep quality, according to a British study published Wednesday.

Researchers at Northumbria University , in northeastern England, discovered that people who drink Montmorency cherry juice on a regular basis enjoy an extra 25 minutes of sleep a night.

The juice significantly increases the body's level of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.

In the study, a group of healthy volunteers drank a 30-milliliter (one fluid ounce) serving of either the juice or a placebo twice a day for seven days. They were fitted with sensors to monitor their sleep patterns.

The participants who consumed the sour cherry juice slept for longer than those who had the placebo and also experienced a six percent increase in their sleep quality.

"Although melatonin is available over the counter in other countries, it is not freely available in the UK," according to Dr. Jason Ellis, co-author of the study. "What makes these findings exciting is that the melatonin contained in tart cherry juice is sufficient to elicit a healthy sleep response."

Dr. Glyn Howatson, who led the study, added that the findings also would be beneficial to those whose sleep patterns are disturbed by shift work or jet lag.

The findings will be published this week in the European Journal of Nutrition.