Your eating habits play a significant role in your daily energy levels and even affect how well you sleep. While common advice includes getting enough protein, avoiding snacks between meals, and finishing your last meal four hours before bed, this can be challenging when you’re lying awake with a rumbling stomach and a racing mind.
However, an afternoon snack can make a big difference—as long as it contains the right nutrients. According to chrononutrition, which focuses on eating according to your body’s natural rhythms, consuming specific nutrients in the afternoon can greatly improve your sleep at night.
Why snack in the afternoon?
Blood sugar levels naturally drop in the late afternoon. At the same time, serotonin—a hormone that promotes well-being and regulates sleep-wake cycles—converts into melatonin as evening approaches, thanks to the amino acid tryptophan. These factors can increase your appetite, which is why you often feel like snacking as the workday winds down.
Craving an afternoon snack is completely normal. The key is choosing the right foods—something that provides energy without spiking your blood sugar, satisfies your hunger, and doesn’t spoil your dinner.
The role of magnesium and tryptophan
For better sleep, focus on foods rich in magnesium and tryptophan, suggests gut health expert Dr. Laure Hyvernat. Magnesium has been shown to improve sleep quality and has a calming effect. Good sources include avocados, dark chocolate (with at least 90% cocoa), and walnuts. Many people are deficient in magnesium due to stress and poor digestion, which can hinder nutrient absorption.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid and a building block for melatonin, the sleep hormone. Eating tryptophan-rich foods helps your body produce melatonin and can improve your sleep. It also supports serotonin, the “happiness hormone.” Bananas, almonds, and high-cocoa chocolate are excellent sources of tryptophan.
Snacks that support sleep
– Banana: Packed with tryptophan, magnesium, B vitamins, and carbohydrates, bananas are an ideal snack. They also contain prebiotic fiber, which supports your gut health and immune system.
– Dark chocolate: High-cocoa chocolate is rich in magnesium, helping you manage daily stress. Keep in mind it contains caffeine and theobromine, so enjoy it earlier in the afternoon to avoid interfering with sleep.
– Almonds: A handful of almonds boosts your tryptophan intake. For better digestion and crunch, soak them in water for about an hour, then drain and dry before eating. This reduces phytic acid, which can block mineral absorption.
Simple snack ideas
You can enjoy these foods on their own or combine them into delicious, sleep-friendly snacks. Here are a few suggestions:
– Healthy hot chocolate: Mix 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk with 3 tablespoons of raw cocoa and a pinch of cinnamon to help balance blood sugar and add a cozy flavor.
– Zen smoothie: Blend 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk with half a banana for a calming, nutrient-rich drink.Blend one banana with 2 tablespoons of raw cocoa (100% cocoa) and 2 tablespoons of chia seeds that have been soaked for 10 minutes in almond milk. Hyvernat explains, “Chia seeds offer an amino acid boost that helps in the proper production of our hormones and neurotransmitters, such as melatonin.”
For balanced energy balls: Combine one banana, 4 tablespoons of fat-free raw cocoa, one cup of almond flour, and five pitted Medjool dates in a blender. Shape the mixture into small balls and keep them in a cool place. Hyvernat suggests, “Enjoy two or three of these energy balls as a snack—they’re packed with nutrients.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a helpful and clear FAQ about snacks for a better nights sleep with questions in a natural tone and direct answers
FAQs 3 Snocks for a Better Nights Sleep
Beginner Definition Questions
1 Why would a snack before bed help me sleep
Eating a small balanced snack can help stabilize your blood sugar levels overnight preventing a drop that might wake you up The right foods can also promote the release of sleepinducing hormones like melatonin and serotonin
2 What are the best types of snacks for sleep
The best snacks combine a complex carbohydrate with a source of protein or a healthy fat This combo helps your body produce sleepfriendly chemicals while keeping you full and satisfied
3 Is it bad to eat right before going to sleep
Its best to have your snack about 3060 minutes before bed Eating a large heavy or spicy meal right before lying down can lead to indigestion or discomfort which can disrupt sleep
4 Can you give me a few simple examples
Absolutely Here are three excellent and simple options
A Small Bowl of WholeGrain Cereal with Milk The carbs help tryptophan reach your brain and the milk provides protein
A Banana with a Tablespoon of Almond Butter Bananas are rich in magnesium and potassium and the almond butter adds healthy fat and protein
A Handful of Tart Cherries or a Glass of Tart Cherry Juice Tart cherries are one of the few natural food sources of melatonin the hormone that regulates sleep
Benefits How It Works
5 Whats so special about tart cherries
Tart cherries naturally contain melatonin the hormone that directly controls your sleepwake cycle Studies have shown they can help improve both sleep quality and duration
6 How does a banana help me sleep
Bananas are a powerhouse for sleep They are rich in magnesium and potassium which are natural muscle relaxants They also contain tryptophan which your body uses to make serotonin and melatonin
7 Why is wholegrain cereal a good choice
Complex carbohydrates in wholegrain cereal help shuttle tryptophan to your brain more effectively When paired with the protein in milk it creates a perfect environment for your body to