Eating before bed? Yes, it can be done! When it comes to snacking before bed, the trick is to pick a snack that is not only low in calories, but also beneficial to giving you a good night’s rest. Read on to discover 10 beneficial snacks to reach for at bedtime.
Bananas
Potassium and magnesium are powerful minerals that aid in unwinding and relaxing. Bananas are loaded with both of these minerals! Grab a banana or a bedtime smoothie to help you get ready for the night.
Dark Chocolate
Candy before bed? You don’t have to feel guilty about a little bit of dark chocolate before bed! The magnesium in dark chocolate will help you relax at bedtime. Be sure to have a small portion – the caffeine in chocolate may keep you up at night.
Yogurt
Yogurt is a great source of tryptophan, which can greatly improve your quality of sleep. Enjoy it with a few berries, oats and honey for a nighttime parfait.
Kiwi
A recent study from the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition has discovered that adults with sleeping problems experienced a 13.4 percent spike in their sleep duration and a 5.4 percent increase when it came to sleep performance. These results were seen after participants ate two kiwifruits at bedtime for four weeks.
Cherries
Tart cherry juice is the perfect beverage to sip on before bed. Studies show that a glass of tart cherry juice can greatly increase the duration of sleep for adults who suffer with insomnia.
Coconut
Curb hunger and cravings with coconut oil or coconut butter before bed. The healthy fats in coconut help to stabilize your blood sugar, which will keep you from getting hungry. Try out this coconut elixir before bed!
Avocado
Avocados are packed with healthy fats, magnesium and tryptophan – the perfect blend of sleep inducing compounds. All you need is half of an avocado with toast or this simple restful smoothie before bed to reap the benefits!
Pomegranate Juice
Melatonin is one of the most popular vitamins to promote sleep, and pomegranates are an excellent, natural source of melatonin. Try pomegranate juice before bed and sleep soundly.
Ginger Tea
There’s nothing like settling in for the night with a cup of hot tea. The next time you reach for tea before bed, make it a ginger tea! Having a cup of ginger tea will help settle your stomach and aid in digesting your dinner so that you can go to bed worry and tummy ache free.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a nutritious, filling, complex carbohydrate that will help you rest. The complex carbs will help you stay full throughout the night, and they’ll trigger the release of serotonin. The serotonin will relax you, making for a restful night.
