Tossing and turning at night? Certified insomniac? Taking medication to get your zzz’s? Read below to find out which foods you should eat before bed to make your sleeping problems disappear.
1. Oatmeal
Photo by Becky Hughes
It may sound weird suggesting to eat a food commonly eaten for breakfast before bed, but studies show that grains in oatmeal trigger insulin production much like whole-grain bread. Oats are known to raise your blood sugar naturally and make you feel tired. Here are more reasons why you should be eating more oats.
2. Almonds
Photo by Emily Maccabee
This healthy treat not only prevents cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but also helps you sleep. According to one source, almonds contain tryptophan and magnesium, which slow muscle and nerve function slightly while simultaneously steadying your heart rhythm.
3. Honey
Photo by Nadia Alayoubi
Honey contains glucose which tells your brain to shut off orexin (a chemical known to trigger alertness). So go ahead and help yourself to a nice spoonful of honey in your tea before bed. Check out eight new ways to love this sweet stuff.
4. Whole Wheat Bread
Photo by Emily Maccabee
Whole grain bread is known to increase your blood sugar slightly, but once your glucose levels normalize once again, you’re bound to feel a little sleepy. Carbs? Yes, please. They make you happy, too, so why not eat them all the time?
5. Cherries
Photo by Renee Zhou
The best way to ensure a sound sleep is to increase your melatonin intake, which is why people take melatonin pills to help them sleep better. The safest way to get your melatonin, however, is naturally. Cherries are known to have high levels of melatonin and can help regulate your sleep cycle. This article says it all about why you should hoard some cherries.
6. Herbal Tea
Photo by Kaitlyn Wesolowski
Since honey and herbal teas are guaranteed to help you sleep sounder, why not have them together before getting tucked into bed? These teas include tons of sleep-inducing ingredients including chamomile, passionflower hops, and lemon balm. Real talk, you don’t wanna end up sleep-deprived by eating the foods in this article.
7. Dark Chocolate
Photo by Katelyn Jones
We all have the occasional sweet tooth and look for something to satisfy it. Dark chocolate is the perfect food to do just that. Dark chocolate contains serotonin, which helps you relax. Feel free to indulge in a chunk of it when you’re craving some sweets without having to feel guilty.
Has mom ever told you that chocolate will keep you up? Well, now you know the truth. Try this recipe to incorporate more dark chocolate into your diet.
8. Hummus
Photo by Emily Maccabee
The obvious ingredient in hummus is the chickpea, which contains tryptophan. Hummus will make you sleepy and is the perfect food to get protein in and keep you full for long periods of time. Don’t want to go out and buy some? No worries, just make it with this recipe and you’re golden. Also, this hummus looks insane, but I’m getting distracted.
9. Bananas
Photo by Abigail Wang
Bananas have magnesium and potassium that relax your muscles and nerves. This superfood also has vitamin B6 in it, which converts tryptophan into serotonin. As previously mentioned, serotonin is another mind and body relaxer. Why not spice them up with this recipe while you’re at it?
10. Turkey
Photo by Lara Norgaard
Turkey is another food that contains tryptophan, known to metabolize into serotonin and melatonin, which relaxes you and makes you sleepy (respectively). This sandwich literally looks amazing, and you don’t even have to feel bad eating it because it’ll help you sleep.
11. Rice
Photo by David Cui
White rice has a high glycemic index, so eating it will significantly slash the time it takes you to fall asleep, according to an Australian study in this article. In particular, jasmine rice brings on shut-eye faster. You could spice your rice up like this, or you could add it to basically anything for dinner.
12. Tuna
Photo by Kimberlee Bochek
This article claims fish, such as tuna, halibut, and salmon, are high in vitamin B6, which your body needs to make melatonin and serotonin. Adding tuna to pasta is especially yummy, as this source says.
So catch up on some beauty sleep, because let’s face it, we all could get a little more sleep than we have been lately.