The 5 Best Foods to Have Before Bed

It is no secret that nutrition plays a major role in our health. It is helpful to think about food as either working for us or against us. What you consume will fuel you to get through your day in the best way possible, or will drain your energy. Strategically timing out when you eat your meals and what you eat can play a large role in how well and long you will sleep later on. Let’s get into it: 

Tart Cherries

The mainstay of the famous “sleepy girl mocktail” and for a good reason. Tart cherry juice is packed with melatonin and tryptophan–both help with sleep. Melatonin is a hormone our body produces to help regulate our circadian rhythm. One study found that those who consumed tart cherry juice had an improvement in sleep time and efficiency. While this was a relatively small sample size I still find the results of this research to be evidence enough to add it to my routine. When purchasing cherry juice keep in mind you want to buy organic pure tart cherry juice. I also recommend adding a small amount with water as it still contains sugar.

Dairy Products

Foods like cottage cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt, and milk have been shown to improve sleep quality. Diary contains a high amount of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that plays a role in the production of melatonin. These products also contain GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is crucial for regulating our sleep/wake cycle. 

Nuts

A variety of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews are a good evening snack. Nuts contain omega-3s, magnesium, and zinc all of which play a role in helping us sleep better. One article review found that nuts delay gastric emptying and improve energy metabolism. 

Bananas

These are another great evening snack because they are rich in magnesium and tryptophan. I would recommend combining it with a nut butter. If you tend to struggle with high blood sugar, would plan to avoid bananas as they are a high glycemic fruit,

Kiwi

One small study found that participants who consumed Kiwi before bed tended to sleep longer and more efficiently. It is important to note that this study was a small sample size. More research could be done on this fruit, with that said, kiwis contain melatonin and anthocyanins which have been shown to help with sleep. 

Baer DJ, Dalton M, Blundell J, Finlayson G, Hu FB. Nuts, Energy Balance and Body Weight. Nutrients. 2023 Feb 25;15(5):1162. doi: 10.3390/nu15051162. PMID: 36904160; PMCID: PMC10004756.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324295#kiwifruit