The Best Bedtime Snacks That'll Help You Slim Down and Sleep Well (2024)

How many hours of sleep did you log last night? Harvard...

You may be worried to eat before bed if you've heard the myth that anything you eat right before turning in will turn straight to fat. In actuality, as long as the total amount of calories you burn isn't less than the calories you eat, you won't gain weight-no matter when you eat those calories. However, it is true that to keep your metabolism burning strong you need to eat consistently throughout the day rather than eating very little in the first half of the day and lots in the second half. Also, if you haven't eaten enough throughout the day, you are more likely to make poor evening snack choices. Smart bedtime snacks are ones that will help you sleep without weighing you down.

Your mother may have told you that a warm glass of milk was the cure for a sleepless night; however, this could actually make matters worse. The protein in the milk can actually boost alertness, and unless its skim milk, the fat in the milk slows digestion, making it harder to sleep.

Instead, try a source of complex carbs, which stimulate the release of serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. Some great complex carbs to enjoy as a bedtime snack are those that are low in fat and protein, such as popcorn (without butter), a slice of whole wheat bread, or oatmeal.

Think that a glass of wine before bed is a good idea? Think again! Although it may seem to help you fall asleep faster, studies have shown that alcohol before bed reduces your quality of sleep meaning that you'll wake up without feeling rested the next day.

However, snacking on some sunflower seeds or topping that oatmeal with ground flax seeds or banana slices might be a good idea, as these are all-natural sources of melatonin, which acts as the sleep-inducing hormone in the body.

And what about all those theories that turkey makes you sleepy? It certainly seems to have that effect after Thanksgiving dinner, but the sleepiness that you feel then is more likely to be caused by eating a big meal containing lots of carbohydrates that leads to blood being drawn away from your brain (where it helps you stay alert) to the digestive system. Although turkey does contain tryptophan, an amino acid that does play a role in the sleep-inducing process. However, for tryptophan to have this effect, it must be consumed alone and on an empty stomach. Furthermore, the amount of tryptophan in turkey is probably not enough to make your drowsy.

So if you have the midnight munchies, stick to these simple snacks to help you catch some zzz's.