If you speak to mums who have been desperate to bring on labour when they’re overdue, or have started getting their bodies ready the day of or a few days before their due date, anything from a hot bath, sex to a hot curry is said to do the trick.

But a curry can do more than help the onset of labour – during your pregnancy, it can also help you get a decent night’s sleep if you use the right ingredients.

According to The Sleep Council, certain foods are known to aid sleep – in exactly the same way that caffeine is known to help you stay awake.

As well as sleeping on a good bed in a well-ventilated, dark and quiet room, achieving a great night’s sleep can be affected by what you eat before bedtime.

Says Jessica Alexander of The Sleep Council: “While we don’t recommend eating a big meal just before bedtime as it can lead to discomfort and indigestion, some people find a bedtime snack a helpful aid to sleep.

“The best is one that contains complex carbohydrates and protein and perhaps some calcium – which is why dairy products are one of the top sleep-inducing foods.

Choosing the right ingredients was certainly the thinking behind chef Gurpareet Bains’ so-called’ biryawni’. He claims his lamb masala recipe has an insomnia-fighting effect thanks to the inclusion of an oil with intoxicating effects and nutmeg which contains a psychoactive substance that aids sleep.

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