Milk and Brazil nuts will send you off to sleep: Scientists concludes certain minerals and acids are linked to a sound slumber

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Published: 23:04 BST, 31 January 2014 | Updated: 10:13 BST, 1 February 2014

Brazil nuts - packed with selenium and potassium - help bring a satisfying sleep

Searching for the recipe for a good night’s sleep? It could be as simple as a glass of milk and a few handfuls of nuts.

Scientists in the US studied the diets and sleep patterns of more than 4,500 adults and concluded that certain minerals and acids are linked to a sound slumber.

And their report suggests that a late-night snack of Brazil nuts – which are packed with selenium and potassium – washed down with a calcium-rich glass of milk contains all the ingredients you need for a satisfying sleep.

Lead author Dr Michael Grandner of Pennsylvania University, said: 'These findings suggest potentially natural and common-sense solutions to sleep problems.

'Although there is still important work that needs to be done on cause-and-effect, there is a lot of research showing that non-medication approaches can be very helpful.

'Even sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia can be very effectively treated.

'The importance of diet is often overlooked when dealing with these sorts of problems.

'Diet, sleep, physical activity, and other parts of a healthy lifestyle have an impact on many systems in the body and, ultimately, play a role in how we think, feel, and act.'

Researchers quizzed 4,548 adults on their health, diet, lifestyle and sleep.

Greater consumption of carbohydrate, butanoic and dodecanoic acids ¿ both abundant in milk - is linked with experiencing unbroken slumber

Women on the lowest incomes were most prone to having difficulty in getting a good night’s rest.

But even taking into account age, sex, education, salary, weight an mental health, several elements of food were seen to be significantly linked to satisfying sleep patterns.

Odds of having trouble dropping off were reduced by 20 per cent where dietary intake of the mineral selenium was doubled and by 17 per cent for calcium.

Greater consumption of carbohydrate, butanoic and dodecanoic acids – both abundant in milk – and vitamin D were linked with experiencing unbroken slumber.

Meanwhile, the chances of suffering lingering lethargy or tiredness the following day were cut by 30 per cent where there was twice as much potassium in the diet and 19 per cent for additional calcium.

Poor sleep was associated with two fats commonly found in butter and cheese – hexanoic and hexadecanoic acid – and also salt and drinking lots of fluids.

Every year, between 30 and 40 per cent of British adults suffer from insomnia with ten per cent regularly dogged by the condition.

Doctors are increasingly moving away from prescribing expensive drugs to alleviate symptoms, instead looking for therapeutic methods to treat the root causes.