Foods that help you sleep: Best food to eat before bed

Sleep, whether you believe it or not, is one of our most essential needs. Some practitioners believe that a good night’s sleep is not critical to our physical health, but also to our minds, as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states.  While it helps to heal, reboot and repair our internal mechanism, how well you sleep can determine your mental well-being, psychological performance, and more. Hence, it’s no surprise that like every other bodily function, sleep is also determined by what we eat and how. So, yes, in a way you can eat your way to better rest.

Food to eat before bed for better sleep

Remember when you were a child and your parents would give you a glass of warm milk before bed? It wasn’t just because kids should drink milk but so that they can sleep well. As Science Daily reported, studies show, food is responsible for the development of serotonin and melatonin, two major hormones responsible for rest and recuperation. But that’s not all. Vital nutrients like Vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid, among others, are also necessary to drive sleep according to Medical News Today. There are, in fact, various foods that will define whether you get a good shut-eye or not. And it’s more than a glass of milk.

Nuts – Nuts are considered healthy fats according to Heart.org which help boost serotonin, which can give you a better snoozing experience. A handful of whole nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, etc. could be a good snack to have later in the day.

Chamomile Tea – Chamomile teas and sleep are a very popular duo and the herb is known to have plenty of health benefits according to National Library of Medicine. It helps reduce stress, and anxiety, and supports the immune system. All these factors together help promote sleep.

Omega 3-rich foods – It’s almost common knowledge that fish tops the chart of foods rich in omega-3 fats. Fatty fishes like tuna, mackerel, salmon, trout, swordfish, and even anchovies have healthy fats and Vitamin D, which can significantly improve your sleep, including helping you fall asleep faster. For vegetarian options, you can swap with pumpkin seeds and soybeans.

Food rich in magnesium – Banana is the first thing that comes to our mind when we think of food high in magnesium according to National Institute of health. But if eating bananas at night does not work for you, then you can also try including leafy greens, avocados, black beans, and other legumes, seeds, etc. in your dinners.

Whole grains and complex carbs – You could be either worrying, wondering, or excited at the mention of complex carbs, depending on what your health permits. Hold onto that thought. Not all complex carbs are bad. Having high-fiber carbs like whole grain bread, rice, and cereals at dinner is known to help induce sleep. But it’s important to avoid simple carbs like cakes, pastries, white bread, pasta, etc.

The key takeaway here is that if you eat healthy and well, you’ll also sleep well. These are just a few foods that can promote better sleep. There are of course a lot of other foods beyond this list that you can try for a good snooze. Whatever you do, the key is to understand what works for your body and what doesn’t.