BEAT SUMMER INSOMNIA with watermelon!

It’s that time of year when hot, sticky evenings, late sunsets and early sunrises triple your risk of restless sleep! Is it even possible to snooze soundly on summer nights? Yes! The keys, experts say, are:

✓ Maximizing melatonin with morning sun

Enjoying a five-minute blast of sunlight each morning can help you sleep deeply and add 20 minutes to your nightly slumber— improvements that you’ll notice within 48 hours! Georgetown Medical School scientists say an early dose of sunlight resets your brain’s biological clock, increasing your production of energy- boosting dopamine during the day, and of sleep-inducing melatonin at night.

✓Increasing your alpha waves with a scented shower

Enjoying a cool evening shower— and lathering up with a lavender-scented body wash— improves sleep quality for 50% of us, reveals research in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Cool water triggers a sleep-inducing dip in your body temperature, and the aroma of lavender prods your brain to make relaxing alpha waves, says study coauthor Berit Johannessen, PH.D. ■ Still restless? Try placing two drops of ylang ylang essential oil on a tissue and leaving it on your nightstand. Inhaling the sweet scent soothes your brain’s anxiety center, inducing sleep in as little as 15 minutes, Stanford University research reveals.

✓Nixing nervousness with kiwi

When it’s time for your evening snack, opt for a fuzzy kiwi, and you’ll add up to 20 minutes to your nightly slumber, say Georgetown University experts. Kiwis are rich in vitamins C and K, nutrients that calm your central nervous system, priming you for relaxation and sleep even on hot sticky nights.

✓ Relaxing tight muscles with watermelon

Eating one cup of sweet, refreshing watermelon each day could help you sleep more soundly in as little as one week, University of Pennsylvania research suggests. The credit goes to lycopene, a reddish compound that relaxes tense muscles and calms your brain’s anxiety center, helping you drift off without a struggle, the study authors say. Other top sources of lycopene include pink grapefruit, mangos, papaya and salsa.

✓ Banishing bellyaches with cumin

It’s hard enough to fall asleep on hot, humid nights— and if your tummy’s churning, your risk of restless sleep triples, British studies show. An easy Rx: Sneak 1/4 tsp. ground cumin into your evening meal. This nutty-tasting spice revs your production of digestive enzymes as much as 20%, quelling nighttime tummy woes in as little as 72 hours, if consumed daily.

✓ Sleeping through sunrises with rhodiola

If you have no problem falling asleep but just can’t stay asleep long enough to feel well-rested the following day, try taking 250 mg. of rhodiola daily. Three new studies suggest that compounds in the herb help six in 10 of us sleep longer— and deeper— each night. Rhodiola increases your brain’s production of sleep- deepening hormones, such as serotonin and melatonin, according to Columbia University researchers. One option: Life Extension’s Rhodiola Extract ($10.50 for 60 capsules, Lef.com/ww). ■ Important: Always check with your doctor before taking any supplement for the first time.