Happy New Year everyone! Ready to start 2022 with the right food for better sleep? I hope so because that’s the topic of my blog today, and I’m very excited about it! I am determined to add great nights of rest to my wellness achievements this year. I’m still going after the same longer-term goals as I was last year, but I strongly believe that getting my Zs on a regular basis is one of the best ways to make those goals easier to achieve.
Why Food for Better Sleep?
At this point, I’m not at all surprised if you’re asking yourself why I’m talking about food for better sleep as my big New Year blog post. Why food instead of a sleep supplement or even a great yoga nidra meditation? To be honest, I like both of those things. I also like healthy bedtime habits. But lots of people talk about those things, so I don’t know how much value I could really bring to that game. Food, on the other hand? That, I know.
Eating the right food for better sleep really is a thing. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to munch on the right bedtime snacks and pass out for 8 solid hours every night. However, the choices we make when we eat do have a lot to say about how much rest we’ll be getting.
The Right Food for Better Sleep is More Than Ingredients
The following are my best tips about food for better sleep. As you’ll see, it has as much to do with how you eat as what you eat, though what you eat certainly does play an important role.
1 – Be consistent about when you eat
Just like it’s important to have a consistent bedtime and waking time, it’s also important to have a consistent eating time. Aim to have your meals and snacks at approximately the same times every day. Not only will this help to regulate when you become hungry – you’ll actually train your belly when to growl! – so that it doesn’t wake you during the night, but it will also help to support your circadian rhythm.
2 – Choose the right foods for better sleep
Though I’m not recommending any specific ingredient to knock you out, there are some foods for better sleep overall. That is, they work with the body’s natural chemicals, such as relaxation hormones – to help wind you down. For this reason, they make great options for evening meals. Ingredients high in tryptophan, for example, include spinach, salmon and edamame. They are known for leaving you feeling a little sleepier at the end of a meal.
Similarly, foods high in magnesium are also great for winding you down and easing stress symptoms. This way, they are great for evening meals or even a small snack in the evening to hold off hunger pangs in the night. These can include walnuts and pistachios.
3 – Try not to eat right before you hit the hay
There’s nothing wrong with an evening snack consisting of the right foods for better sleep, as long as you keep it light. It will stop hunger from keeping you awake or waking you up. That said, ideally, it’s best not to have it immediately before you go to bed. Try to focus on your bedtime winding-down routine for about an hour before you go to bed and make it a snack-free time if you can.
