8 Foods to Eat Before Bed
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Eating Before Bed
Do you crave a little something to eat before bed? If you’re like most people, you might sometimes look for a little comfort food in the evenings, perhaps while watching a television show or late night movie.
Eating a little food before bed can make us feel full and comforted. And yet many foods we snack on in the evenings are difficult to digest and can actually prevent us from getting a good nights sleep.
What to Eat Before Bed?
As a general rule, we should avoid eating anything less than 3 hours before bedtime. However, if you feel hungry before going to bed, then chances are you shouldn’t ignore your hunger pangs. Your next meal won’t be coming along for another 7 or 8 hours and you don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night feeling hungry.
So what are the best foods to eat before bed?
Ideally, you shouldn’t snack on anything with high calorie content, or anything with too much sugar. During sleep, the body does not burn off many calories and so high-calorie foods are more likely to be stored as fat. Sugary foods might very well keep you awake at night.
Instead, look for a small low-calorie, low-sugar snack that will satisfy your craving and yet be well received by a body that is switching off for the night. Consider slow-digesting proteins that will digest throughout the night. Here are just a few ideas for an ideal bedtime snack that you won’t regret eating.
Foods That Help You Sleep
1. Oatmeal and Honey: A nice bowl of warm oatmeal can have a calming affect on the nervous system. Oats are rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and magnesium which are all important for supporting sleep. Honey contains a natural compound called “orexin” that is said to help prepare the brain for sleep, making it an excellent alternative to sugar.
2. Tuna. Because tuna is high in protein it makes a great candidate for a bedtime snack that will slowly digest overnight. Low in calories and sugar, a can of tuna will keep your alertness dialled down to a minimum for a restful nights sleep.
3. Cottage Cheese: A dairy product that is high in protein and can be digested slowly. Consider adding a few fresh berries for some natural sweetness and added nutrients.
4. High-Fibre Cereal & Milk: Whole grain cereals contain complex carbohydrates that are satisfying and boost serotonin to promote calm relaxation. The fibre in the cereal will be digested slowly through the night. The milk contains tryptophan which works as amino acid to help keep you calm.
5. Hard Boiled Egg: Eggs are high in protein and provide a satisfying snack that are slowly digested and will help you sleep through the night. Consider eating your egg with a small slice of flax bread; the flax contains omega-3 to improve brain function, while the bread provides the complex carbohydrates to boost serotonin.
6. Banana: As a natural low-fat and high-fibre food, it is said that bananas help to stabilize serotonin and melatonin which aids relaxation and promotes a sound sleep. The magnesium and potassium elements in a banana can also help to relax tired or overworked muscles.
7. Cherries: Naturally boosting the body’s supply of melatonin, these little treasures will help slow you down before bedtime, relaxing and calming the mind. While fresh cherries are the optimum choice, cherry-juice or frozen cherries also contain the same soothing properties.
8. Almonds: If you’re really hungry then eating a small handful of natural almonds will quickly put hunger at bay as well as providing your body with “good fats”. Containing lots of magnesium, almonds help to make you fall asleep quickly and also are great for protecting your heart.
So next time you reach for the fridge for a little bedtime snack, think about the effect your snack will have on your body. Paying attention to the foods you eat before bed will greatly enhance your well being and help you to get the good night’s sleep that you need.
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What foods do you eat before bed?Loading...
I often feel hungry before going to bed so this hub is very useful! I usually go to bed hungry or end up eating too much:) I will try your suggestions instead. Great hub since it was easy to read and so well put together.
Thanks
@Lyricallo, thank you for stopping by and commenting!
@thougtforce, overeating before bedtime used to prevent me from getting a good night sleep but I found that eating healthy foods and getting the balance right is key. Sleep well tonight!
Hey ... a hub I can relate to! I usually eat warm oatmeal, cornflakes or Cheerios with milk or soft boiled egg. Some people say it's not good to eat before bedtime but sometimes you just have to, can't sleep on a empty tummy, right? Good suggestions.
Hi Tranquilheart, you're absolutely right it's no fun trying to sleep on an empty stomach. I tend to get quite irritable when I'm hungry :-)
I'm up late and usually don't eat at night but do find myself getting cravings once in awhile. Most of the time I eat a cheese stick and have some water. Sometimes a yogurt helps calm my stomach.
Good hub.
Hi Cloverleaf, if I eat too much late at night I don't sleep and if I go to bed hungary I don't sleep!
Thank you for your suggestions on finding the right snack for a good night's sleep and it's all things I like:-)
Great hub and voted up.
Great ideas. Thank you so much. Hyph
Hi moonlake, I love your suggestion of eating a yoghurt to calm the stomach. Low-Fat Activia is my absolute favourite.
Movie Master, I can't believe how much you and I are alike! It's like we're related or something ;-)
Hi Hyphenbird, thanks for your comment, hope you're having a great day.
Great hub with lots of useful info. Think I'll go have a banana!
Hi Susie, you made me chuckle! Hope you enjoy your banana :-)
I like this hub. I eat all the foods listed except cottage cheese. The texture doesn't do a thing for me. Oatmeal and honey works; I tried it one night and I was so sleepy after wards.
Hi caramellatte, eating oatmeal and honey is so comforting isn't it? :-)
Great information....enjoyed your hub. voted up!
Thanks greatlove, and I appreciate the vote up!
Oatmeal and honey is my favourite. Sometimes I have some natural yoghurt with sliced almonds and honey. Thanks for the great hub.
Fantastic hub! Very detailed and informative! Late night snacks can cause more harm than good. Great choices of snacks. I'm for the banana or a cheese stick. UP/Awesome!
Sunshine, thanks for the awesome comment and vote up, I'm so glad you stopped by!
Super-foods, I think natural yoghurt with almonds and honey would give you a little bit of everything good!!! Thanks for commenting.
The cherries sound really yummy. I had no idea they were a natural remedy for insomnia. Will give this a try. What is strange is that for the first time in a long long time I bought fresh cherries yesterday at the store before I read this great hub. hmmm.
Great hub with useful instructions on Bed Time Foods. Thanks!
PegCole, how good of you to visit and comment! I hope you enjoy eating your cherries and have a sound sleep tonight :-)
chamilj, you're welcome and thanks for stopping by to comment.
So informative, helpful--full of important guidelines but in a concise, direct format. This hub is also generating great comments. Thanks much!
Voted up and bookmarked.
All goods options that also won't raise my blood sugar! [voted up and useful]
I definitely cannot sleep when my stomach is empty. I have to choose carefully the food I eat before bedtime because I could develop acid reflux, so I avoid acidic foods. Warm oatmeal, a little milk, sesame seeds, raisins and brown sugar is my favorite.
But if I am too tired and sleepy to eat, I would just chew 2 tablets of goats milk and I'm off to bed.
Voted up and found useful!
Sometimes it's hard to fall asleep.. I will try these foods, thanks for the information. Up!
Rtalloni, thanks for the vote up! A few cherries before bedtime really helps to settle me down for the night, sort of a comfort food that's good for you. I appreciate your kind comments.
Tarrka, Yes so important for anyone watching their blood sugar! Sleep soundly and thanks for your vote :-)
Hi blessingsforlife, I really like your idea of sesame seeds and raisins. Much better than trying to sleep on an empty stomach! Have a great day.
Pinkish, I hope you find some options here that will help you to fall asleep better, cherries are very comforting and always work well for me.
Thanks for all your comments,
Cloverleaf
I always eat before i go to my bed but it is mostly a no nutrition benefits foods. Thanks for your hub now i know what to eat during bedtimes.
Hi naturalsolutions,
I'm happy this helped you to find some nutritious bedtime snacks. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Cloverleaf.
wow..very useful information, i will try make habit to eat those thing before bed,,vote up! nice stuff
Great recommendations, thanks.
Nice to see you again Kamran! Eating foods that are easy to digest are much better than going to bed on an empty stomach so I hope you find something in the list that works for you. Thanks for the vote up, too :-)
Cloverleaf.
Nice to see you again Kamran! Eating foods that are easy to digest are much better than going to bed on an empty stomach so I hope you find something in the list that works for you. Thanks for the vote up, too :-)
Cloverleaf.
You're welcome, LULU SUE! :-)
nice hub and useful tips on proper food choices for better sleep. banana, milk and honey sounds good to me. yum.
Hi midnightbliss
Thanks for your comment and sleep well tonight :-)
Cloverleaf.
I'm eating a poptart ... I'm a bad girl but it's yummy! :)
LOL @ Sunshine. That's OK, I just ate a handful of peanuts so I'm a bad girl too! I should have opted for the almonds. Still, it's only 7pm so it will be a few hours before bedtime. Enjoy your poptart!
Cloverleaf.
Thanks for sharing. If I ate a really big lunch, then I just like to drink something at night, so instead of eating anything after I come home from the gym, I'll just zip down a coke....
Take care
John
Hi John,
I like your idea of eating a big lunch. That way we aren't tempted to eat too much at night. Thanks for leaving a really great comment, I appreciate it!
Cloverleaf.
Bananas...cherries...almonds...oh okay, enough for me before bed...thanks again Cloverleaf for a good job done...
Very useful information. I will have try one these the next time I'm hungry at bed time.
GOD BLESS!!!!!!
Sleep tight, injured lamb, thanks for your kind comment!
Cloverleaf.
Hello Miss Paula,
Thanks for coming by to comment, I just read one of your own hubs and enjoyed it thoroughly - it's very nice to meet you here :-)
Cloverleaf.
Very useful! like the content and photos you describe.From my view, banana and almond among the foods your recommended are not so appropriate for eating before bed, for banana could promote gastrointestinal motility and defecation, which could disrupt sleeping, while almond relatively high calorie. and I think yoghourt is the best.But there is another question, it is good for you to prefer healthy food to avoid the negative side of eating before bed,you will get it as habit, and your brain will get used to it.The solution is that you can transfer your eating mind to meditation, sitting on the bed cross-legged, concentration you mind and have a abdominal breathing......then the idea of eating could be drived away, and you could sleep well.
Excellent information. I never eat right before bed but it is good to have some healthy choices.
Really useful hub Cloverleaf! I am not usually hungry late night but when I am I find bananas really fill me up and I am less inclined to munch junk food. Ooh, a glass of milk also helps!
Hi BeautyFeather,
You suggested some really helpful meditation techniques that compliment eating healthy food before bedtime. Slowing down breathing and meditating will certainly help to keep me calm before going to sleep. I was just reading your hub about ear massage - fascinating! Thanks for your comment.
Cloverleaf.
Hi Pamela,
That's great - thanks for commenting!
Cloverleaf.
Hi Mariazeyn,
That's awesome, thank you! I added a link to your "10 Strategies to Wake Up Early and Stay Fresh" into my related hubs above. Now we can sleep well AND get up early the next day :-)
Cloverleaf.
After reading this I want to go get a snack. All your suggestions sound so good. Thanks for the tips.
I like how you help explain what it supplies to our bodies as well as the fact these are healthy and affordable foods to add to our pantry. Thank you for the information.
This all sounds much better than my usual popcorn--
I like the oatmeal and honey.
Wow--interesting hub. Helpful to many people. Many votes on this one!!!!
I am always looking for things to help me fall asleep. I think I would enjoy several of these. Great hub. Voting across!
Thanks for these very useful tips. I'm always hungry before bed and now I think my snack of choice will be almonds or tuna...instead of ice cream and chips. lol Loved it, thanks!
Good list! I feel hungry mostly as I eat my dinner at 7 in the evening but go to bed only after 2 AM. I often end up eating fruits, popcorn or having juice to control my hunger.
These are a great choice.
One of food that I eat before going to bed is an oatmeal.
wow thanks for these tips.. I will definitely use them.
nice to meet you
Debbie
That's pretty interesting. Some good tips there. I think the hardest thing for me is having dinner at the right time and the right amount of food. Leaving work at 5.30pm, getting home at 7pm and then sleeping about 10pm. In your opinion, would those tips apply to all body types with a fast and slow metabolism?
Hi DeviousOne, getting home late is a difficult situation and one that I have faced myself on many occasion and so I try to eat as light as supper as possible. In my opinion, it's better to eat something than to go hungry, regardless of metabolism or body type. I have a friend who works out at the gym regularly after work and then comes home and eats a big meal before bed. Not surprisingly, he doesn't usually sleep very well. Even though he has a fast metabolism, I would say that he would be better off eating a good, well rounded and hearty lunch to sustain him through the afternoon, and then eat lighter in the evening. Thanks for posting such a great question.
Hi there, your hub is great, I love Bananas and love to have one before bedtime. thank you for all the tips. voted up and useful.
Great and useful list. I love bananas mixed with oatmeal and honey. Light, healthy and rich in fiber! :)
Excellent hub Cloverleaf! I'm a fan of 'healthy tips and hubs" this one is going into my healthy hub bookmark file. The banana, honey and oatmeal mix in your comment above sounds perfect! yum!
Great choices and reasons.
Thank you for sharing this info - voted up, across and sharing!
bananas, cherries and almonds purchased today after reading the hub!!!! Thank you so much :)
These foods do help to calm nerves. I would not suggest that the body should be digesting food while your sleeping(slow digesting foods are not ideal). Its best to have a empty stomach to fall asleep. Good hub.
These foods are also great snacks throughout the day! Thank you so much for sharing! Voted up, interesting, useful and shared.
Some good tips. I'm always hungry before bed time. (I think i've got worms) lol...
~Carl
Hi Rob, I have to say that bananas and oatmeal is one of my very favourite snacks at any time of the day. And I'm inclined to pour honey on most things because it's so yummy and good for us! The fiber element is very important too. Take care!
Hi MissOlive, I appreciate the comment and bookmark. You're so good to me! This is actually my most popular hub out of all 95 published so far. I'll be doing a "foods for energy" hub as part of the March contest and challenge, too!
Hi Dipsmi, I think you'll be sleeping like a baby tonight after buying all the right foods. Good for you!
Hi rasta1, your feedback was great, thank you. There's a lot to be said for a good night's sleep, isn't there?
Carldavies1234, hopefully it's just a very fast metabolism!!! LOL.
Lyricallor 9 months ago
very useful hub with good explanations!