If you suddenly get hungry before bedtime, you’re not alone. There can be many reasons you get snackery (as I call it) late in the day; among the possibilities are meals loaded with unnecessary fats, preservatives, and sugars. It’s also entirely possible that over the course of the day, if you’ve been very active, you’ve burned up more calories than you’ve consumed, and that can cause hunger pangs as well!
Things to avoid before bed include anything spicy or high in fat; these foods can cause acid reflux and indigestion, and that’s definitely going to keep you up! (No more rocky road ice cream before bedtime!) Avoid foods high in sodium, as it raises your blood pressure and dehydrates you. On the flip side, if you’ve sweated a lot you might need to replace sodium that’s been lost due to sweating in order to avoid leg cramps. Everything is about balance, right?
Herbal tea is a great bedtime snack, especially peppermint or chamomile. No caffeine and each of those herbs are soothing, which can help you wind down and sleep better. Focusing on foods that promote production of serotonin is helpful too; much of the body’s production of serotonin happens in the gut, so have high-fiber foods such as popcorn (in small quantities). Nutrients such as the B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and calcium, for example, promote better sleep. Non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt, nuts, pumpkin seeds, tart cherries, spinach, popcorn, turkey, kiwi, tuna, or bananas; you have multiple options for healthy, sleep-supporting snacks!
And while this is Wine & Wellness Wednesday…alcohol before bed is not actually great for helping you sleep. So skip the red wine and the dark chocolate at bedtime; have it with dinner instead!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!