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Cereals and ice creams that help you sleep? One sleep expert calls them a 'contradiction in terms'

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Research shows that about one in three Americans aren't getting enough sleep. (Getty Images)
Research shows that about one in three Americans aren't getting enough sleep. (Getty Images)

If you're like most Americans, you may not have slept particularly well last night.

Research shows that about one in three Americans aren't getting enough sleep, some suffering from chronic insomnia. So it's not surprising that products promoting sleep are gaining traction.

The most recent are foods that claim to promote sleep with "curated vitamins" and melatonin. They include cereal, ice cream and chocolate bars, many containing similar amounts of sugar as their non-sleep-promoting counterparts. So do they work?

Here & Now's Robin Young talks to Charles Czeisler, chief of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

This segment aired on May 15, 2023.

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