You’re having trouble sleeping — have you considered turning your insomnia into insom-nom-nom-nom-nia?
Sleep can be hard to come by in the winter because exposure to less sunlight can significantly disrupt internal clocks. There are several ways to restore restful sleep — try maintaining a consistent slumber schedule, basking in morning light and practicing relaxation.
Certain bedtime snacks can also help you catch z’s. Brain health researcher Marc Milstein, author of “The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia,” said “a few simple tweaks” to your nighttime nosh routine can improve your trips to Sleepy Town.
One of his suggestions is a mash made in heaven — oatmeal.
“Oatmeal is something that is a complex carbohydrate — doesn’t cause blood sugar to shoot up or drop,” Milstein explained on Instagram.
“We now know that a lot of the issues that we have with waking up in the middle of the night can be rooted in blood sugar dropping or blood sugar spiking, so we realize that oatmeal is a great choice,” he shared.
Oatmeal boasts the hormone melatonin, which promotes sleep, fiber and protein, which significantly contribute to feelings of fullness, and magnesium, which relaxes the muscles.
Milstein is also fond of bedtime bananas and almonds, which are rich in magnesium, and Greek yogurt when it’s high in protein and low in sugar.
Johns Hopkins Medicine supports consuming whole-wheat toast or a bowl of oatmeal before bed because they are complex carbohydrates that don’t take too long to digest.
They also trigger the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter believed to play a significant role in regulating sleep quality and duration.
Toronto-based registered dietitian Abbey Sharp likes to make her “hunger-crushing” before-bed oatmeal bowl with oats, hemp hearts, milk, a hand pinch of salt, a ripe banana, a spoonful of almond butter, melatonin-friendly sour cherries and a cut-up protein bar.
“Fiber-rich carbs and proteins are the keys to a satiating bedtime snack that will keep you full overnight to improve sleep quality,” Sharp noted on TikTok.
“I also love adding in sour cherries and almond butter for flavor (plus healthy fats) but also because of their evidence-based benefits for a good night’s sleep,” she added.
