It’s no secret that sleep towards the end of pregnancy can be challenging. Frequent bathroom breaks, a kickboxing baby, backaches, racing thoughts and any number of other distractions can all work against your ability to rest. For me, a pregnancy pillow helped up until a certain point. During my last month, I got out of bed practically every night to stretch my back and hips in my bathroom to reduce my discomfort.

But the only thing that helped me consistently and worked like magic was a nightly dose of tart cherry juice. According to the Sleep Foundation, tart cherry juice contains both tryptophan and melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep hormone secreted at certain times of day to help the body transition to sleep. Tryptophan helps the body produce melatonin, therefore it is essential to a good night’s sleep.

I mixed two tablespoons of tart cherry juice with warm water and drank it before bed. I might have fallen for the placebo effect, but on the nights I had the juice, I fell asleep immediately…no more lying awake for hours tossing and turning.

Try it and see if it works for you!