May improve sleep quality

Consuming cherries or drinking sour cherry juice may help you sleep better. The fruit's high concentration of plant chemicals may be responsible for its sleep-promoting properties. Cherries also contain melatonin, a chemical that aids in the regulation of your sleep-wake cycle. A study of 20 persons found that those who drank sour cherry juice concentrate for 7 days had significantly higher melatonin levels, sleep duration, and sleep quality than those who drank a placebo.

2-week research on older persons with insomnia discovered that consuming 1 cup (240 ml) of tart cherry juice before bedtime increased sleep time by 84 minutes. These investigations, however, make use of concentrated cherry products. It is unknown whether eating fresh cherries before going to bed will have the same impact. Finally, further research is needed to better understand how eating cherries and cherry products may help with sleep.