Could a glass of cherry juice be the answer to gaining another hour of sleep?

Part-funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute (ahem), the Louisiana State University conducted a study using eight insomniacs who were randomly assigned to drinking either 240ml of cherry juice or a placebo that looked and tasted similar, reports Daily Mail.

During the study, blood tests were taken and each were asked to take a questionnaire about their insomnia. Here are the deets:

Volunteers were asked to drink the juice twice a day, once in the morning and once in the hours running up to their bedtime.

After two weeks, the questionnaires were repeated and the groups switched over, according to the study published in American Journal of Therapeutics.

Sleep efficiency was shown to increase in those who drank the cherry juice twice a day, but no other significant differences were recorded.

Lead researcher Professor Jack Losso said: ‘Insomnia is quite common among older adults and it can lead to a range of health issues if left untreated.

‘However, many people are hesitant to resort to medications to help them sleep. That’s why natural sleep remedies are increasingly of interest and in demand.’

After analysing blood samples, researchers found cherry juice reduced levels of kynurenine – which numerous studies have shown to contribute to sleep disturbances.

And what did they find? Well, they found that drinking cherry juice an hour before you go to bed just might be the answer to extending your sleep by 84 minutes. That’s a whole lot of minutes for someone who doesn’t get many.

But here’s the catch – it’s not just any cherry juice. Sorry.

The study focused specifically on Montmorency tart cherry juice which contains procyanidin and anthocyanins, flavonoids with potential health benefits.

Looks tasty, doesn’t it?

If insomnia has taken its toll on you, pop over here to find yourself some of the good stuff, AKA Montmorency tart cherry juice. You’re going to have to import it, though, so to get it into South Africa safely and reliably use Postbox Courier and you’re A for away.

All that for an extra 84 minutes of sleep? Dude, come on.

[source:dailymail]