10 Best and Worst Foods to Eat Before Bedtime

Mealtime before bedtime

There are several things that you can do to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep. Some of those things include winding down your work well in advance, making sure you do not indulge in any screen time at least for an hour before bed, and eating a wholesome, nutritious meal or snack at least a couple of hours before bedtime.

While many foods can spoil your sleep by causing indigestion, acid reflux, etc., there are other foods that can improve your quality of sleep. A heavy meal just before bedtime means your body will have to expend energy to digest that food instead of winding down to rest. This can result in disturbed and restless sleep and leave you feeling tired the next morning.

Look for these key nutrients

• Melatonin -

This is a hormone that helps regulate your circadian rhythm or your body’s internal clock and helps improve sleep. The circadian rhythm is tied to the cycle of day and night. It runs in 24-hour cycles to carry out essential processes in your body.

• Tryptophan -

Tryptophan is an amino acid present in certain protein-rich foods. It helps make a chemical called serotonin in your brain. Serotonin calms you down and triggers sleep. Serotonin is also an essential precursor required to produce the hormone melatonin

• Calcium -

Calcium helps your brain use the amino acid tryptophan to produce the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

• Vitamin B12 -

This vitamin helps increase melatonin production and causes early release of the hormone to help you fall asleep quickly and stay asleep too.

5 best foods to eat before bed

Here are the five best foods for good sleep. These foods help improve your quality of sleep:

• Cherries -

Cherries of the tart variety contain melatonin. Eating these cherries, a couple of hours before bedtime, can enhance the quality of your sleep and make you stay asleep longer.

• Bananas -

This is a great food for good sleep as it contains the minerals magnesium and potassium, which reduce symptoms of restless leg syndrome. This is a disorder that causes a tingling sensation in the legs when you are at rest. Bananas also contain vitamin B6 which aids in melatonin production.

• Walnuts -

Walnuts also have high levels of melatonin and can help you sleep better.

• Turkey -

Turkey contains tryptophan, that is used to produce both melatonin and serotonin, the sleep-inducing hormones.

• Milk -

Milk contains both tryptophan and calcium that contribute to melatonin production, thus being a sleep-inducing food.

5 worst foods to eat before bed

So, now you know that foods containing nutrients that promote melatonin production are the best foods for good sleep. However, there are some foods that can cause discomfort, indigestion, and insomnia. Here are the foods you should avoid eating close to bedtime:

● Spicy food -

Spicy foods are difficult to digest and cause acidity and heartburn as well. They also take longer to digest, thus spoiling your sleep.

● Citrus fruits -

Citrus fruits like grapes, oranges, grapefruit, etc. contain citric acid. Eating them right before bedtime causes increased production of acid in your stomach, resulting in acidity and heartburn. This can cause you immense discomfort and spoil your sleep.

● Fried food -

Fried foods may taste good, but the excess oil in them causes indigestion and discomfort if eaten before bedtime.

● Chocolate -

Chocolate is everyone’s favourite snack, but it is best avoided at bedtime. It contains caffeine, which is a stimulant that keeps you awake.

● Alcohol -

Initially, alcohol may make you feel sleepy. However, it causes reduced REM sleep that will leave you tired the next day. As your body metabolises the alcohol, your sleep will get disrupted.