Craving for a Late-Night Snack? 7 Healthy Foods You Can Eat Before Bedtime : It’s no secret that diet and nutrition affect the quality of your sleep and ability to relax at night.
Additionally, certain foods and drinks can make it easier or harder for you to unwind before bedtime and get the sleep you need.
Because of these reasons, taking the right vitamins for stress after dinner can help you relax and de-stress, allowing you to have an easier time nodding off and staying asleep.
Taking a supplement packed with calming ingredients, such as L-theanine, lemon balm, holy basil and rhodiola, gives you the nutrients you need to relieve stress and experience better sleep quality.
These supplements provide other benefits that can help you stay physically and mentally healthy and fit.
You can even get more benefits from taking these after-dinner calming supplements when you munch on the right snacks whenever you have a late-night craving.
Best Foods to Eat at Night
Everyone gets occasional late-night cravings that can be hard to ignore.
Eating unhealthy foods late at night frequently can lead to weight gain and acid reflux symptoms. These snacks can also reduce or undo the benefits you’re getting from working out, taking probiotic multivitamins and other supplements, and your other healthy habits.
If you can’t curb your late-night cravings, the best thing you can do is to munch on healthy snacks.
Below are seven of the healthiest snacks you can eat to satisfy your late-night cravings:
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Nuts and seeds
If you’re craving something crunchy, such as potato and tortilla chips, go for their healthier versions: nuts and seeds.
Almonds and pistachios are excellent substitutes since they are packed with melatonin, the hormone that regulates your body clock. It also sends signals to your body when it’s time to sleep.
These nuts are great sources of magnesium, a nutrient that can reduce cortisol (the stress hormones) levels and inflammation, which can help improve sleep quality.
You can also munch on cashews and walnuts, which are incredible foods that can help you sleep better. The former contain high amounts of potassium and magnesium, while the latter can aid your body in producing more serotonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, mood, appetite and pain.
Pumpkin and sesame seeds make for great late-night snacks, too, since they are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that aids in the production of melatonin and serotonin.
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Yogurt
Ice cream is a popular go-to late-night snack but one of the unhealthiest options.
To avoid being tempted by this frozen snack at night, stock up on yogurt instead.
Yogurt is rich in calcium, which not only keeps your bones strong but also helps your body produce melatonin.
Yogurt is also rich in protein, specifically casein, which can help reduce hunger pangs.
Opt for plain and Greek yogurt to get the most health benefits from this snack. If you want to mix in some fruits, go for unsweetened ones.
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Turkey sandwich
Turkey is one of the healthiest proteins around. It’s one of the best snacks you can have at night if you’re craving a sandwich.
Turkey is another excellent source of tryptophan, with light meat containing higher amounts of this amino acid than the darker parts.
The protein content of turkey meat may also contribute to its efficiency in promoting tiredness. Research shows that consuming moderate amounts of protein before bedtime can help you wake up less in the middle of the night and improve your sleep quality.
A study shows that carbohydrates can aid the brain in absorbing more tryptophan. This means that eating a turkey sandwich with whole-grain bread can help you sleep better.
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Cheese and crackers
Cheese and crackers are pantry staples that you can quickly munch on day or night.
Aside from being easy to prepare, a cheese and crackers platter is one of the healthiest snacks you can enjoy late at night.
Cheese is a good source of tryptophan. When you eat it together with a carb-rich food such as crackers, you help your brain absorb more of the sleep-inducing amino acid.
For a healthy snack, opt for reduced-fat cheddar cheese or a scoop of cottage cheese with whole-grain crackers.
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Oatmeal
Oats are considered breakfast staples. However, the nutrients they contain make them great late-night snacks, too.
Eating a small bowl of hot or cold oatmeal at night can help prepare your body for sleep. This is because oats are good sources of magnesium and melatonin.
A bowl of oats can also keep you full, ensuring you stay asleep throughout the night.
To make this already healthy snack healthier, add fresh fruits and nuts. Use low-fat or soy milk and honey for additional flavor as well.
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Bananas
Bananas taste great and are easy to eat, which is why they should be on your list of go-to late-night snacks.
Like most of the foods mentioned here, bananas are rich in potassium and tryptophan. As such, eating at least one piece of this fruit can help you sleep better at night.
If you want to spice up the flavor of this fruit, add a dollop of almond butter. The magnesium content of this spread can help support your body’s production of melatonin. This, in turn, can enhance the quality of your sleep.
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Tart cherries
Cherries are one of the healthiest fruits around. They are rich sources of various essential nutrients, including magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
These nutrients allow you to experience several health benefits, including protection against inflammation-related conditions, such as arthritis and heart disease.
Several studies show the efficiency of tart cherries in promoting better sleep quality.
Tart cherries contain the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. In addition, they are rich in procyanidin B-2, a phytochemical that helps protect tryptophan in the blood.
If you don’t like eating the fresh fruit, drink some tart cherry juice before going to bed. Doing so can also be helpful if you’re struggling with falling or staying asleep at night.
Although you would do well to avoid late-night snacking, if you can’t control the urge to munch on something before going to bed, choose from this list of healthy foods to eat so you can sleep well at night.
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