Dietitians, nutritionists, and sleep scientists all agree that the foods you eat before bed can affect your sleep. For example, while healthy fruits like bananas and kiwis can positively impact the quality of your sleep, spicy or fried foods can disrupt your sleep. Find out what makes specific foods and meals a good bedtime treat.
What you eat in the hours before bed can greatly affect your overall sleep cycle. The same goes for certain beverages. The food you eat is essential to your overall personal health, so it stands to reason that it’s also essential to the quality of your sleep.
For example, suppose you ate foods that you knew could cause indigestion within an hour of resting your head on a pillow. Acid reflux and subsequent heartburn can keep you from falling asleep as quickly as possible and even wake you up several times during the night.
To help ensure a positive sleep cycle, eat foods that you know will help you sleep well and won’t interfere with your rest.
These yellow fruits are high in potassium and carbohydrates, so they are easy to digest quickly. At the same time, bananas contain high levels of magnesium, a mineral that helps the body relax easily. All these factors ensure that bananas are a late-night snack you can count on.
Buy pre-made hummus at your local grocery store or munch on chickpeas to help you get a good night’s sleep. The healthy fats in hummus will keep you full through the night, and the high levels of tryptophan (an amino acid that can promote sleep) can help you rest easy.
This shaggy little fruit boosts your serotonin levels, which in turn helps boost melatonin (an important sleep chemical) levels in your brain. High amounts of antioxidants, vitamin C, and other nutrients are some of the other health benefits you can expect to get from kiwifruit.
Pour yourself a bowl of your favorite low-sugar cereal before dinner. Whole grains are especially rich in vitamin B6 and carbohydrates, which are easy to digest and can help regulate your energy levels.
One tablespoon of peanut butter can be used as a high-fat, very filling bedtime snack. A little can go a long way when it comes to this or any other nut butter. Just a spoonful of peanut butter before bed can keep you full throughout the night.
This protein can make you sleepy, especially when you eat a lot, largely due to the amount of tryptophan in turkey meat. It’s also one of the reasons why Thanksgiving parties get some guests ready for bed early.
This herbal tea has helped put people into a deep sleep for centuries and centuries in different parts of the world. Relax with a cup of chamomile tea as you relax in the evening to see if it helps you fall asleep easier.
Try drinking tart cherry juice to take advantage of the benefits of melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone. Consider replacing any alcohol you drink before bed with this alternative. While alcohol can help you fall asleep quickly, it disrupts your circadian rhythms and leaves you restless the next day.
Warm up a glass of hot milk to set the stage for a better night’s sleep. Dairy products like cheese can also help you fall asleep, plus they’re high in calcium. Avoid sweeter dairy products, such as ice cream, as they can disrupt your sleep.