Foods to Eat Before Bed to Help You Sleep

What to eat when you can’t sleep and what to drink before bed to help sleep? Here are the five foods you should eat before bed. These sleep-inducing foods help you fight insomnia and sleep through the night.

1. Fatty fish

As fatty fish are a great source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, they improve the quality of the sleep and affects the sleep duration (in a good way).

Fatty fish has an exceptional amounts of vitamin D and healthy omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). Both of the omega-3 fatty acids promotes brain health & condition, reduces inflammation, protect the body against all kinds of heart disease.

It must be noted that the combination of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids increases the serotonin level in the body and enhances sleep quality.

Some of the most-popular fatty fish(es) which one can consume are salmon, mussels, herring, tuna, trout, and mackerel.

2. Kiwi

Kiwi is super-food. They are super rich in serotonin and different kinds of antioxidants which improves sleep quality and duration.

Eating kiwi before bedtime can improve sleep. It is due to their powerful antioxidant properties and its high concentration of serotonin brain chemical which regulates sleep cycle.

Kiwi is very beneficial for sleep due to its sleep-promoting compounds such as melatonin, anthocyanins, flavonoids. carotenoids, potassium, magnesium and folate.

3. Cherries

Tart cherry juice helps improve sleep quality and also the sleep duration. Tart cherries are best to be consumed before bed because they are rich in melatonin hormone (responsible for sleep), tryptophan and anthocyanins (helps produce melatonin).

It also have large amount of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Tart cherries contain 20 times more vitamin A, and five times higher antioxidants (compared to sweet cherry varieties).

Note that tart cherries bright red in color, whereas regular sweet cherries are darker in color.

4. Milk

Not a wonder. Milk has gained an unshakable reputation to induce sleep. Milk contains tryptophan which increases serotonin level.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter known for calmness and acts a precursor to the melatonin sleep hormone. Having a glass of warm milk for a good night’s sleep increases serotonin and melatonin levels which promotes sleep and relaxes mind.

You can either consume it as a plain milk or turmeric milk, known as golden milk. The golden milk has powerful sleep-inducing capabilities as it has tumeric.

Tryptophan (a precursor to melatonin) from milk combines with curcumin (alleviates sleep). Golden milk increases melatonin levels which regulates body’s sleep-wake cycle.

5. Ashwagandha Tea

As per Ayurveda, ashwagandha is an adaptogen (manage stress and mental disorders). It is believed that a person who consumes ashwagandha on a daily basis will gain horse-like strength.

Drink ashwagandha as in Moon Milk. Moon milk is a traditional Ayurvedic potion for insomnia and other sleep disorders. It is made by adding ashwagandha, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg to warm milk (you can also boil the ingredients together for 5 minutes in a warm milk over low flame).

Ashwagandha root contains powerful sleep-inducing compounds. It has triethylene glycol component which promotes slow/non-rapid eye movement sleep and calm eye movements. It induces mental calmness during the sleep phase.

It inhibits cortisol (the stress hormone) and hence it is highly effective for people battling stress and all kinds of mental ailments. Ashwagandha is very effective in treating insomnia as it reduces stress and calms the overall nervous system.

Ashwagandha also reduces cholesterol and helps improve heart condition.

Must consume these are the healthy foods to eat at night. They are also the best fruits to eat at night for weight loss.

Author: Team AS

Team Ayurvedshala includes BAMS (Ayurvedacharya) and expert health writers, with years of experience. Possessing deep knowledge of Ayurveda and home remedies, the team is dedicated to imparting its expertise and wisdom for your good health.