Diets high in chilli may help people nod off at night and bound out of bed more energetically in the morning, according to a pilot study.
A Tasmanian physiologist, Andrew Davies, surveyed 25 volunteers on a controlled meal plan for four weeks and compared them on the same diet but with 30 grams of chopped chilli added daily.
Although their sleep quality appeared to be similar on both diets, Dr Davies said the participants felt they were able to fall asleep more easily when taking chilli.
He found that on the spicy diet, they recorded fewer movements during sleep and tended not to sleep quite as long, yet they had more energy during the day.