“A small handful of nuts will satisfy cravings and hunger while inducing sleepiness,” Kirkpatrick says. That's because nuts like walnuts and almonds offer natural melatonin, protein, and magnesium. Magnesium, for one, may help reduce insomnia in older adults, according to past research.
It's been claimed that almonds may help boost sleep quality as well. This is because almonds, along with several other types of nuts, are a source of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin regulates your internal clock and signals your body to prepare for sleep ( 13 ).
According to Buchanan, protein “is the most immediately satiating macronutrient.” That's why nuts, hummus, and yogurt are all such excellent late-night snacks. Since melatonin is a sleep-enhancing hormone, foods rich in it such as pistachios, bananas, and grapes also serve as excellent bedtime treats.
Nuts like almonds, walnuts. linkinghub.elsevier.com , pistachios, and cashews are often considered to be a good food for sleep. Though the exact amounts can vary, nuts contain melatonin as well as essential minerals like magnesium. medlineplus.gov and zinc.
Worst nuts for your diet
Ounce for ounce, macadamia nuts (10 to 12 nuts; 2 grams protein, 21 grams fat) and pecans (18 to 20 halves; 3 grams protein, 20 grams fat) have the most calories - 200 each - along with the lowest amounts of protein and the highest amounts of fats.
Though going to bed hungry can help with sleep and weight loss, lack of access to food can actually increase your risk of obesity, asthma, and other health problems.
Eight almonds and two dates offers around 150-200 calories and will fire up your metabolism, stabilise your blood sugar, stop you reaching for the coffee and help your body produce vital melatonin later in the evening to help you sleep.
If you want to receive the maximum benefit from nuts, then its advised to consume them in the morning. Consuming nuts along with breakfast can help you ward off fatigue and smoothly regulate blood pressure in your body.
A Handful of Tree Nuts. One of the best nighttime snacks to improve sleep is a handful of nuts. Most nuts, but especially tree nuts such as walnuts, cashews, and pistachios, are high in tryptophan. This molecule boosts melatonin and serotonin production in the body, helping you fall asleep and stay asleep better.
Almonds + Cashews
These go-to nuts contain magnesium, a mineral which acts like a natural sedative. Even a small deficiency in magnesium can lead to trouble in the sleep department.
Besides the extra calories, eating too close to bedtime can have other health implications such as digestive issues. When sleeping, our digestion naturally slows down as our metabolism enters a resting state. Lying down in bed immediately after eating can lead to symptoms such as indigestion, acid reflux and heartburn.
It's best to stop eating about three hours before going to bed. That allows plenty of time for your body to digest the last food you ate so it won't disrupt your sleep, but leaves a small enough window before sleep that you won't go to bed feeling hungry.
Studies tend to show that when food is consumed late at night — anywhere from after dinner to outside a person's typical sleep/wake cycle — the body is more likely to store those calories as fat and gain weight rather than burn it as energy, says Kelly Allison of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's ...
One Ounce of Cheese or 1/4 Cup of Roasted Nuts
Cheese or nuts are a smart and tasty bedtime snack, says Lemein. In just one ounce of cheese, like sharp Parmigiano Reggiano, there are 10 grams of protein; cheddar, swiss, and mozzarella have between seven and eight grams of protein per ounce.
Carbohydrate-rich foods like toast trigger insulin production. This induces sleep by speeding up the release of tryptophan, a chemical that helps to relax the body and send it off to sleep.
Macadamia. The highest calorie nut on this list, macadamias have the highest fat content and 2 grams of net carbs, which explains why these nuts are popular among keto dieters. And like pecans, macadamias are also rich in monounsaturated fat.