Nuts like almonds, walnuts. View Source , 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.
Most nuts have a good amount of melatonin. Pistachios and almonds are among the highest.
Since there is not much physical activity before sleeping, the high calories are not used for energy, and might end up being stored as fat. So it is not such a good idea to consume nuts before bed if you want to lose weight; instead have them in the morning or before your workout.
Almonds. Almonds provide a double benefit, containing high amounts of both melatonin and magnesium: two key nutrients for a good night's sleep. “Almonds contain more magnesium that most nuts, second only to Brazil nuts.
Having nuts before bed, such as peanuts, almonds, and pistachios, can increase the speed of your metabolism and raise your body heat, therefore warming you up for bed. As well as this, these nuts contain melatonin, a natural hormone that helps to control your sleep cycle and therefore helps you get some shut eye.
Walnuts. Walnuts are a good source of the amino acid tryptophan. One serving of walnuts (about a handful) contains 318 mg of this beneficial amino acid (Self Nutrition Data, 2015b). Thus, eating a walnut-rich snack an hour or two before bed could help you drift off to sleep more easily.
1. Cherries. Cherries (especially sour cherries like the Montmorency variety) are one of the only (and highest) natural food sources of melatonin. Studies have shown a boost in circulating melatonin after consumption of cherries, though sweet cherries have half the melatonin content as sour cherries.
Do bananas help you sleep? Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium which help relax overstressed muscles and make them an ideal go-to snack before bed. They also contain all-important tryptophan to stimulate production of those key brain calming hormones.
Cherries are known for being one of the best foods for sleep as they naturally contain melatonin. Snacking on cherries or drinking cherry juice can help promote longer, deeper sleep.
According to Lauren Popeck, RD, a dietitian at Orlando Health, Greek yogurt is perfect for bedtime, because it contains the sleep-inducing chemical tryptophan. And because it's such a rich source of protein, Greek yogurt can also help you avoid that same glucose spike.
It turns out; this beloved fruit is the perfect sleep aid. It provides several vitamins and minerals that can improve the quality of your sleep. Bananas reduce stress and anxiety, alleviate muscle cramps, and regulate your sleep-wake cycle with serotonin and melatonin.
Eggs and fish are higher melatonin-containing food groups in animal foods, whereas in plant foods, nuts are with the highest content of melatonin. Some kinds of mushrooms, cereals and germinated legumes or seeds are also good dietary sources of melatonin.
Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt is a great late night snack that works to promote sleep, but also has many other health benefits. It's packed with important nutrients, such as calcium, B-12, and potassium. In addition, it is also full of probiotics; which are 'good bacteria' that boost digestive health.
One study of older adults with insomnia found that magnesium supplementation at a dose of 500 milligrams daily for eight weeks helped them fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, reduced nighttime awakenings, and increased their levels of naturally circulating melatonin.