Getting quality sleep is incredibly important for your overall health. It may reduce your risk of developing certain chronic illnesses, keep your mind sharp, and boost your immune system – just to name a couple of positives.
If you’re tossing and turning every night, there are many strategies you can use to promote good sleep, including making changes to your diet. And we’re not talking about a drastic change in your everyday eating, in fact, there are several everyday foods you can eat before going to bed that can greatly help induce you into restful sleep (and they’re probably in your pantry.)
To help you get the sleep you rightfully deserve, check out the five best pantry foods to eat before bedtime that will have you catching Zzs night after night.
1. Almonds
The first common food we recommend grabbing the next time you’re craving a snack before hitting the sheets is almonds. Almonds, along with several other nuts, are an excellent source of nutrients and are very easy to get a hold of.
Almonds are a source of melatonin and the sleep-enhancing mineral magnesium, two properties that may make them a great food to eat before bed. Eating almonds regularly has been associated with lower risks of a few chronic diseases as well, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
2. White Rice
The next food we recommend eating prior to going to bed is a grain that’s widely consumed in many countries. If you have some in your pantry (we know most homes do), white rice is a fantastic food to eat before lying down for the night.
White rice isn’t high in fiber, nutrients, or antioxidants; however, it still contains a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. It’s beneficial to eat before bed due to its high glycemic index (a measure of how quickly a food increases your blood sugar), which is known to promote better, healthier sleep.
3. Bananas
We’re not monkeying around about this next great food to eat before bed, or any time of the day really. All joking aside, bananas are an excellent choice to graze on before calling it a day and contain valuable nutrients.
Bananas are high in potassium which helps keep you asleep throughout the night, and they also contain tryptophan and magnesium which are both natural sedatives. So, next time you’re debating what to grab before bed, rip a fresh yellow banana off the batch and fall into a relaxing slumber.
4. Honey
This next food will have you buzzing peacefully to sleep every night, and we bet you already have a stash of it in your cupboard. If you’re looking for something on the sweeter side to help you doze off for the night, honey can be an exceptional option to eat before bed.
Not to get too scientific, but the glucose in honey lowers levels of orexin (a signal in the brain that makes you more alert), so eating or consuming honey before sleeping will put that alertness in reverse. So, when you’re ready to call it a day, treat yourself to a spoonful of your favorite honey, add it to a drink or cracker, and wind down into a tranquil rest.
5. Chamomile Tea
To put a cap on our list, we’re not going to recommend a food necessarily, but an easy-to-make beverage. If a nice, warm drink before bed is more of your thing, chamomile tea is a popular herbal tea that offers a variety of health benefits and will help you snooze into the night.
Chamomile tea contains antioxidants that promote sleepiness, and drinking it regularly has been shown to improve overall sleep quality. There’s also some evidence that drinking chamomile tea may boost your immune system, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve your overall skin health.
You can never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Healthy sleep is something all of us crave on a nightly basis — because it’s something our bodies need on a nightly basis!
If you still find yourself struggling to get some shut-eye, a new and improved mattress can be the quickest and most effective solution to getting your quality of sleep back. We offer a