9 Best Foods and Drinks to Have Before Bed

 Having a good sleep is vital for each individual's overall health and well-being.

Sleep enables the body to repair and relax, keeps the brain healthy, boosts the immune system, and reduces your risk of adaption to certain chronic illnesses.

For adults, having at least 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep is recommended. While for younger people, 6 hours of sleep is a must to restore energy. Though, some people struggle to get enough sleep for the day due to many social, environmental, and psychological issues.

Some people practice yoga for concentration and mental peace, some exercise before sleeping to exhaust the body to fall on beds. Some people change their diet structure as per naturopathy treatments.

Some foods and drinks carry sleep-promoting properties beneficial for insomniac and other people suffering from sleep disorders.

In this blog, we have discussed some of the easy-to-find natural foods and drinks that one must have before going to bed to enhance sleep quality.

Foods & Drinks for Quality Sleep

1.      Almonds

Almonds are a rich source of the sleep-supporting amino acid tryptophan, with many additional health benefits.

Grab a handful of almonds before sleep. The ingredient carries many nutrients that can improve sleep, including 18% of phosphorus, 23% riboflavin, 19% of magnesium, and 25% - 31% of the manganese for men and women.

Having almonds every day lowers the risk of health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a few other chronic diseases.

The antioxidant properties of the natural ingredient protect your body cells from inflammation and boost sleep quality. Almonds also contain high doses of melatonin, which are responsible for regulating the sleeping and waking cycle.

The home remedy is also a rich source of magnesium, which helps in reducing stress hormone cortisol, leading to a state of relaxation.

Almonds are easy to find in nearby grocery stores. Consume 1-ounce (28-gram) of almonds, or about a handful before going to bed. The quantity is adequate for a quick snack before sleep.

 

2.      Turkey

Roasted turkey is rich in proteins, a few vitamins, and minerals.

The natural ingredient is very delicious and nutritious, as it carries about 8 grams of protein per ounce, riboflavin, and phosphorus. It also contains the amino acid tryptophan, responsible for increasing the production of melatonin.

Research states, consuming a moderate amount of protein before sleep helps in promoting tiredness associated with better sleep quality. Turkey is also known to be rich in selenium, produces thyroid hormone beneficial for good sleep.

 

3.      Chamomile tea

Try the popular herbal tea, Chamomile tea, before sleep as it contains apigenin. The antioxidants present in the tea reaches out to receptors in your brain that may further promote sleepiness. The properties of herbal tea help in faster sleep, boost the immune system, improves skin health, as well as reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The natural home remedy also contains Flavones, a class of antioxidants known to reduce the inflammation.

 

4.      Kiwi

Kiwi is a nutritious fruit, rich in fiber and anti-inflammatory antioxidants (vitamin C and carotenoids), carries a quality amount of folate and potassium. The fruit is also an excellent source of serotonin, responsible for the regulation of your sleep cycle.

It also contains nutrients, such as 71% of the DV and 23% - 31% of Vitamin K for men and women, needed each day.

The fruit is beneficial for your digestive system, improves sleep quality, helps reducing inflammation, controls, and lower the cholesterol level.

Consume 1-2 kiwi fruits an hour before going to bed. The antioxidants produce faster and longer sleep-promoting effects.

 

5.      Tart cherry juice

Tart cherry juice contains antioxidants (anthocyanins and flavonols), nutrients (magnesium and phosphorus), and high amounts of melatonin.

It is also an excellent source of potassium.

Drinking tart cherry juice before sleep helps prevent insomnia and improves sleep quality. If you are struggling to fall asleep at night, try Tart cherry juice as it has some other health benefits as well.

 

6.      Fatty fish

A combination of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D are known to be great for better sleep quality as they enhance the production of serotonin in the body.

Consume a few ounces of fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel, before going to bed for faster sleep without any wakening.

Fatty fish also contains nutrients that help your body fight against heart diseases and boost brain health.

7.      Walnuts

An ounce (28-gram) of walnuts contains proteins and many nutrients, 19 vitamins and minerals, fats (omega-3 fatty acids and linoleic acid), and fiber.

It is also an excellent source of melatonin, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and copper.

Eating some walnuts before bed may help improve sleep quality. A few properties of walnuts help promote better sleep and other health benefits, such as reducing appetite, high cholesterol levels to boost heart health.

8.      Passionflower Tea

Another herbal tea, Passionflower tea, works as one of the best remedies for quality sleep. It contains antioxidants, such as flavonoids and apigenin, that may promote sleepiness.

The herbal tea is also known to treat other health ailments through its calming properties, such as reducing anxiety, heart disease risk, and stress.

The potion is also known to boost immune health and reduce inflammation.

Learn about some other foods and drinks that may promote sleep

Some other foods and drinks carry sleep-promoting properties and are rich in nutrients such as tryptophan.

We have listed some other easy-to-find food items that can benefit in quality longer sleep.

·        Nuts

·        White Rice

·        Cottage Cheese

·        Milk

·        Bananas

·        Oatmeal

·        Plain Yogurt

·        Lavender Tea

·        Chickpeas

·        Popcorn

·        Peanut Butter

It is important to sleep for the recommended hours as the body needs to relax and restore the energy system. The above-listed food and drinks will help as they contain some of the essential hormones, such as melatonin and serotonin, responsible for regulating the sleep cycle.

For faster and longer sleep, reap benefits from these foods and drinks. Consume an hour or two, before going to bed. Avoid acid reflux and other digestive issues by not consuming the above-listed foods and drinks immediately before going to sleep.