People Are Eating Pineapple To Fall Asleep Faster—and Science Says It Works

 Social media apps like TikTok serve up countless trends, tips, and tricks on the regular. Whether you're in need of a skincare routine that promises glowing skin all winter long, a new fitness regimen like the 3-2-8 workout to kickstart your weight loss efforts, or hacks that will help you fall asleep in mere minutes, TikTok has you covered. One of the most recent trends making waves on #sleeptok is the pineapple sleep hack, where people eat pineapple before bed and swear by its sleep-inducing effects.  

People are eating pineapple to fall asleep faster.

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TikTok users are totally pro-pineapple before bed in order to fall asleep quicker. "Eating pineapple before bed helps me fall asleep faster and sleep so much deeper," writes TikTok user Emma Leigh. Another TikToker, Valerie Ribon, who's a certified health coach, writes in a video, "How I trick myself into getting the best sleep ever … Pineapple after dinner … Try it with coconut whipped cream." In another clip, Ribon reveals some "high maintenance things for the best sleep" that are "WAY better than tart cherry juice." Ribon explains, "Pineapples actually increase melatonin production way more than tart cherries; they're also extremely helpful for bloat and digestion. You can even use frozen pineapples to make a pineapple cinnamon tea after dinner." Yum!

 

A doctor, @motivationaldoc on TikTok, also weighs in on the pineapple-before-bed trend. "Melatonin—the hormone that's in the pineapple, that's created by the pineal gland within the brain, that works with our circadian rhythm … When you eat pineapple before you go to bed, melatonin is increased … throughout the entire body, which helps you get to sleep fast and sleep deeply throughout the night," Dr. Mandell says in his video.

 

Here's what science says about eating pineapple before bed.

If you need further convincing to add pineapple to your nighttime routine for better Z's, let's chat about the science. According to a 2013 clinical crossover study, healthy participants ate certain fruits—such as pineapple, bananas, and oranges—one at a time. There was a one-week "wash-out period" transitioning between fruits until individuals tested out all six of them. The researchers discovered that individuals who consumed pineapple experienced a whopping 266% boost in their melatonin levels, compared to a 180% increase for those who ate bananas and a 47% increase for those who consumed oranges.

Suffice it to say, if you have trouble falling asleep, it may be in your best interest to stock up on some pineapple!