Are you one of those people that like to have a snack in the evening before heading off to bed? Well, if you are, and you are having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep then you might want to think about whether your snack is helping or hurting your sleep.

Here are three snacks that promote sleep:

1. 1. Oatmeal isn’t just great for breakfast! It also makes a tasty and satisfying evening snack because it is packed with melatonin and magnesium, and these are two heroes in the battle for sleep.  Melatonin is a hormone that is also made in the body, and it helps control your sleep cycle – when you are awake and when you are asleep. Magnesium helps your brain and body feel calm and relaxed and this is important for getting to sleep.
      Hot Tip! Check out the great Oatmeal Recipe on our recipe page.
   2. Feeling a little nutty? A few pistachios, almonds, or walnuts also make a great evening snack. Like oats, these also are high in melatonin and magnesium as well as being high in healthy fat, and low in sugar. This is important because sugar is a stimulant, and this interrupts sleep.
   3. Fruit can also be a great evening snack and there are some fruits that are especially good for helping you relax and stay asleep. These are: bananas, kiwi, tart cherries, and pineapple. These fruits are packed with nutrients that help relax your mind and your muscles and increase your levels of melatonin.

Worst snacks before bed:

1. 1. Chocolate – chocolate contains caffeine which is a stimulant and makes it more difficult to fall asleep. It also interrupts your deep sleep cycle and can make you feel drowsy when you wake up.
   2. Cheese – have you heard people say that eating cheese before bed can give you nightmares? Well, cheese is high in an amino acid that makes your body release the ‘fight or flight’ hormone. So, this is something to skip right before bed.
   3. Ice-Cream – this is high in sugar which can cause your blood sugar to rise right after eating it and then during the night, it can crash and your body sees this as an emergency and releases another hormone called Cortisol which wakes you up.

Hot Tip! For sweeter dreams, plan your snack for earlier in the evening instead of right before bed so that your body isn’t busy converting your snack into energy, instead of relaxing into a deep and peaceful sleep.

Sweet dreams!