If you struggle to get to sleep, or always wake up in the middle of the night, then it may be your diet that's preventing you from having decent shut-eye.
That's according to a renowned food scientist, who has helped create the ultimate menu for the perfect night's sleep.
Based on university research and scientific evidence, Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart worked with registered nutritionist Lily Soutter to create a three-course dinner that will help you snooze peacefully by nightfall.
Dr Edwards-Stuart, who researched flavours and textures for a PhD sponsored by Heston Blumenthal at the University of Nottingham, and Ms Soutter created the menu scientifically in a laboratory owned by mattress company SIMBA Sleep.
They first analysed some ingredients to select those which have been known to promote sleep.
The first ingredient chosen was kiwi, as researchers at Taiwan's Taipei Medical University found that eating kiwi on a daily basis helped improve the quality and quantity of sleep in a recent study due to the fruit's high antioxidant levels and high seratonin levels.
They then picked chicken, because experts have found that the bird is one of the best sources of tryptophan, a building block of sleep hormone melatonin.
Walnuts were also included on the menu, as researchers from the University of Texas found that the nuts contain melatonin as well.
Dr Edwards-Stuart and Ms Soutter then found complimentary ingredients to pair these foods with, that would not reduce sleep-enhancing properties.
They used science to pair up ingredients based on shared aroma profiles. This included pairing kiwi with omega-3 fatty acid-rich mackerel for the starter, as Oxford University research has shown that omega 3 fat could stimulate the release of sleep hormone melatonin.
They also included spinach and olives in the starter dish as both share aroma compounds with kiwi. Spinach is also high in magnesium and research has shwon that levels of this mineral fall and rise in correlation with people's 24-hour sleep and wake cycle.
With the main course, they chose magnesium-rich pumpkin seeds to pair with the chicken, as well as sweet potato, a source of tryptophan.
For the dessert, Dr Edwards-Stuart and Ms Soutter wanted to keep the sugar levels in the sweet treat low as sugar can disrupt sleep.
Therefore they chose honey to sweeten the dessert as it has a lower glycaemic load in comparison to regular sugar and won't make blood sugar levels spike. They also paired melon and apple juice with the walnuts because they are both good sources of fibre, which can slow the release at which sugar enters the bloodstream and can keep levels stable through the night.
Corn-fed chicken, pumpkin seeds, black garlic and organic sweet potatoes is the perfect meal to eat if you want a good night's sleep, according to the experts
PICTURE: Supplied
A menu for the perfect night's sleep
Starter
Sustainably sourced mackerel, organic kiwi, Kalamata olive, and baby spinach salad
Main
Corn-fed chicken, pumpkin seeds, black garlic and organic sweet potatoes
Dessert
Fresh Galia melon with yoghurt, walnuts, walnut oil, apple juice, honey and mint
Daily Mail